1,000 residents sign petition against Labour council’s proposals for significant cuts to waste and cleansing services in Cardiff
Over 1,000 residents have signed a petition organised by Cardiff Liberal Democrats against proposals being put forward by Cardiff’s Labour-run council for significant cuts to waste and cleansing services in the 2024-25 financial year which were highlighted in a consultation run by the local authority ahead of determining its forthcoming budget.
As part of the recently run consultation, the council had asked for views on cutting the frequency of collecting black bins and black bags down to every three weeks instead of once a fortnight, as well as bringing in charges for garden waste collections and for all bulky waste collections. The council additionally asked for views on proposals to reduce the amount it currently spends on cleaning the city’s streets and parks, as well as on a proposal to remove litter bins from residential streets and only have them in city and district centres, parks, at bus stops and on dog walking routes.
The leader of Cardiff Council’s Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Rodney Berman, said: “It’s clear that many residents are appalled that the council is considering so many drastic cuts to waste and cleansing services in Cardiff. There are huge fears our city could become much dirtier than it is at present, and that fly-tipping will significantly increase if these cuts go ahead.
“These planned cuts are being proposed just after the Labour-run council committed to contributing £27.3 million of council tax payers’ cash towards the delivery of the planned new indoor arena in Cardiff Bay. But the cost of the additional borrowing that will be required for that will mean less money is available to spend on running basic services, including collecting our rubbish and keeping our streets clean. Given the extent of the cuts now being considered, many residents are therefore seriously concerned that the Labour administration has got its spending priorities all wrong.”
Councillor Ashely Wood, the Cardiff Liberal Democrat Group’s environment spokesperson, added: “Whilst the council is arguing that reducing the frequency of collecting black bins and bags to once every three weeks could help boost recycling, we’ve been told that the expected impact will be quite minimal and that the council only thinks it will increase the city’s recycling rate by just over 1%. It’s clear that the administration is therefore proposing this change more as a cost-cutting measure. They are not thinking about the need to also spend more on educating people about the need to recycle more, or on providing more hygiene waste collections for those that would need them once black bags and bins are no longer collected fortnightly.
“As local councillors, we deal with frequent concerns about the poor quality of our waste collection service and the litter-strewn state of our streets and back lanes. This is only likely to get worse if Labour’s planned cuts go ahead. We are therefore urging the Labour cabinet to think again.”
ENDS
Notes:
- The Cardiff Liberal Democrats’ petition against the cuts to waste and cleansing services can be found here:
https://www.cardiffld.org.uk/wastecuts - Cardiff Council’s recent budget consultation can be found here:
https://www.cardiff.gov.uk/ENG/Your-Council/Council-finance/Council-Budget/Pages/default.aspx