By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Gloucester Conservatives have been successful in getting the City Council to cancel the £25 charge the previous Tory administration introduced to replace damaged wheelie bins.
Gloucester City Council voted to cancel the charge for damaged wheelie bins at the budget meeting on February 27.
There is currently a charge of £25 for a replacement standard 240 litre or large 360 litre black bin that is damaged or missing.
The council says this is to cover the administration and delivery costs. While residents can have a small 140 litre bin free of charge
The move to drop the charge, which is expected to cost around £20,000 a year, was supported by Labour and Community Independent councillors. The Liberal Democrats said they were not against the idea but wished to review it over the next year.
Tory group leader Stephanie Chambers (C, Quedgeley Fieldcourt) said: “Unfortunately, our proposal to cancel the charge to replace damaged wheelie bins which would have required an allocation of around £20,000 was not accepted.
“But we are still going to debate this today.”
Her group suggested the extra £24,000 the Lib Dems agreed to spend to create two new cabinet positions after winning the elections last year could instead be used to cover the costs.
Labour group deputy leader Tree Chambers-Dubus (L, Moreland) said she had the same bin for 24 years and has repaired it several times.
“Wheels fall off, there is wear and tear. I think [the charge] is unfair.
“I would feel seriously aggrieved if my bin fell apart and it broke completely and couldn’t repair and then I was expected to pay for it.
“Considering I have effectively been paying for it in my council tax.”
Community Independents leader Alastair Chamber (CI, Matson, Robinswood and White City) said he too supported dropping the charge for a replacement wheelie bin.
He said the council could save money by switching the lights off on the upper floors of Longsmith Street multi-storey car park as they are currently closed to the public.
Council leader Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton) said the proposal to charge for replacement wheelie bins was something introduced by the previous Tory administration.
He said his Lib Dem administration was “quite happy to review it” in the next financial year.
“It was a bit controversial at the time, and it has only really been in operation for 12 months,” he said. “We just need to look at whether it is working or not.
“I’ve had nobody write to me to complain about having to pay for a replacement wheelie bin.
“Let’s have a look at the scheme to see what faults and its successes are. If we think it should be abandoned we will abandon it.”
However, the vote to drop the charge was successful. Conservative, Labour and Community Independents supported the move while the Lib Dems abstained.