Croydon could be penalised by having its public grant cut significantly over the move made by its Conservative-run council to move to fortnightly bin collections.
“Weekly bin collections are one of the most visible frontline services and there is no plausible reason why councils shouldn’t deliver them to hard-working residents. We have demolished the Labour myth that fortnightly bin collections were necessary to save money or increase recycling.
“If councils don’t get their house in order and deliver this basic public service then not only will they be held to account at the ballot box. We will be looking closely at the central government funding for bin collections; councils receive £28 billion in formula grant funding – it’s not unreasonable that they provide a decent bin service in return.”
These are the words of none other than arch Tory, “Big” Eric Pickles, the cabinet minister in the Conservative-led government responsible for local government.
Yet again, Mike Fisher’s Croydon Conservatives are seriously out of step not only with the demands of the borough’s residents, but even with their own party’s political masters.
Croydon went to two-weekly bin collections a year ago, claiming it would save money and reduce landfill.
The state of Croydon: this picture, from the Croydon Greens blog, shows rubbish strewn across Princess Road, in the area just behind Mayday Hospital – clear evidence that the new rubbish collection scheme is failing
But with little borough supervision of the outsourced rubbish collection contract, the state of Croydon’s streets have become grubbier and tattier, with wheelie bins overflowing and infestations of rats and other vermin becoming an increasing problem. Meanwhile, the council has cut the number of staff working its central helpline, the people who have to field reports of missed collections and rubbish-strewn streets.
An Inside Croydon poll conducted six months ago reported dissatisfaction among three-quarters of respondents, with 52 per cent of respondents saying that they had had missed collections on four or more occasions. Trucks are often sent out to deal with these missed collections and – all at extra cost, of course.
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And thanks to the leadership of Mike Fisher and the local authority genius that is Jon Rouse, our £248,000 per year chief executive, it looks like that reduction of service is about to cost the people of Croydon even more money.
Proud to serve, themselves.
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Waste collection is a constant problem throughout most of Croydon.
People know it is bad but nothing ever seems to get better about it; or it will improve for one or two weeks and then is back again.
The worst is the council’s failure to insist in spaces for bins when giving planning permission to flats, such as those above shops – the litter just piles up on the streets.
The real problem is this Council’s inability to think of anything else other than their salaries, expenses, kudos. You ,the electorate, just can’t be bothered to really give thought to what type of Council members you want WORKING FOR YOU.
Come election time the majority will say “I’ve always voted for Labour” , or “I’ve always voted Conservative”. How about, just for cahange, think of how you would like your Council services run and then do something about it.
If you want fat cat Councillors to give Contracts to their chums in the private sector, then vote for them. Let them keep their £60,000+ per year expenses, Or you could elect local people, not necessarily affiliated to any particular party but who are prepared to roll their sleeves up and get on with improving Croydon.