Privatisation not a risk to weekly bin collections

12:27pm Monday 14th July 2008

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THE privatisation of borough council street cleaning and gardening would not automatically lead to fortnightly bin collections, a boss claims.

The idea of privatising waste and garden services is part of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's inquiry in to whether it can save money by sharing waste-collection arrangements with other Hampshire local authorities.

Emma Broom, the council's head of environmental care, who prepared an update report on the negotiations, stressed: "This does not put the weekly bin collection at risk at all. There's no way this is alternate weekly bin collection by the back door."

Miss Broom's report explained the borough is still negotiating with East Hampshire, Hart, Havant, Portsmouth and Winchester councils about merging core refuse and recycling services in a bid to save the six authorities between £1million and £1.6million a year.

Most of the savings would come from having fewer vehicles and crews, but the disposal of depots in Havant and Hart could save another £300,000. It is thought the change might have environmental benefits by reducing CO2 emissions by 235 tonnes a year.

Miss Broom recommended the council should examine "commercial market testing" of alternative methods of providing street cleaning and grounds maintenance because some other authorities involved in the negotiations include it as part of the waste management work they contract out.

The borough's team of seven managers and 82 staff currently carries out the work in-house.

But the borough's existing waste contract expires in 2011 and Miss Broom notes in her report that the council needs to start putting a contingency plan in place. This could mean the council going alone, as it currently does, or joining with another authority such as Hart District Council.

When the Conservative-led Cabinet approved the paper, Labour councillor Sean Keating was unhappy with talk about market-testing, saying: "At least in Hart, its Cabinet is very much more honest and it talks about outsourcing the same service." Cllr Keating added the process would leave workers demoralised.