Three-weekly black bin collections will be introduced across Cheshire East from April 2026 – despite heavy opposition from residents and some councillors.
The environment and communities committee voted narrowly by seven to six yesterday (Wednesday) to change to a three-weekly collection, with one councillor saying “the fact is we can’t afford to not do this”.
The cash-strapped council says collecting household waste bins every three weeks instead of fortnightly is the only way it can fund its legal requirement to introduce weekly food waste pick-ups by April 2026.
Cheshire East needs to reduce spending by £100m over the next four years and the bin collection change will save an estimated £1m.
During the lengthy debate, concerns were raised about the impact on the elderly, people with medical needs, fly-tipping and the possible contamination of the grey recycling bins because of overflowing black bins.
There were also fears the council might be acting too hastily, as last year the previous government launched a consultation which included draft guidance requiring councils to collect residual (black bin) waste each fortnight as a minimum.
Cllr Janet Clowes (Wybunbury, Con) said: “My biggest concern is I’m not sure this is a risk we should be taking at this early stage of the current government…
“I would resent having to go through all that pain if, in the next 12 months, Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) come back and say we’ve looked at that piece of imminent legislation and actually we’re going to put a limit of two weeks on residual waste collection.”
Bunbury Cllr Becky Posnett (Con) said: “I have enormous concerns over the paper that was presented [to the committee] because of the lack of detail.”
She added: “I’m going to keep it simple, on the fact that 84 per cent of residents do not want this.
“I was voted for by residents, I represent residents and therefore I cannot support it.”
Cllr Mary Brooks (Macclesfield, Lab) said it wasn’t 84% of residents who opposed the change, it was 84% of people who responded to the consultation.
“I’m reassured that lots of local authorities have already done this – Bury, Wigan, Rochdale, Salford – the sky hasn’t fallen in, and it’s operated quite happily there,” said Cllr Brooks.
“The fact is, we can’t afford to not do this because what is certain is that we have to do this food waste collection from 2026, and I think there’s a lot of detail in the report that demonstrates we cannot afford to keep both a two-weekly collection and do a weekly food waste collection.”
She added: “I think it’s very unlikely the present government will turn round to those councils that are already doing three-weekly collections and tell them, no you’ve got to go two-weekly, because where’s the money going to come from for that?
“We haven’t really got a choice not to do this and I just wondered where the savings could be made otherwise if we didn’t.”
Cllr Moss said if Cheshire East did vote to implement three-weekly collections it wouldn’t actually be operational until 2026, so if the government decided to make two-weekly black bin collections mandatory ‘it would be easier for the government to say, we will leave the councils who have it in place currently, not the ones who plan to have it in place, so we are running the risk’.
Simple really if you have an accident moving a VERY heavy bin because the council is forcing you to wait three weeks, thus the bin is even heavier then they risk accident/injury claims.
Perhaps stop wasting vast amounts of money on multi-storey car parks and refurbishment of out dated market halls and use the money wisely.
Reduce your waste in the first place is probably your best way to do this.
Our family of 4 fill the black bin to the half way point every 2 weeks – we generate 1-2 x 30 litre bags of rubbish between each collection, thats all.
Pointless saying anything, the council clearly do not listen to the electorate, please remember this the next time you have the chance to vote for so called change
I’m disabled and moving the bin every two weeks was hard enough for me, the weeks will be virtually impossible. I’ll just have to contact the council to collect my bin (this isn’t cost effective).
It’s not the governments fault, it’s mismanagement at council level.
CEC states going 3 weekly black bin collection will save an estimated £1m, when it is introduced from April 26. Yet, there is going to be another bin collection introduced the same year (food waste), which is set for weekly collections. What are the costs involved in that? – any savings already getting cancelled.
don’t knock it till you try and do better, many grey bins are full of the wrong things, like nappies, wood, dirty cans, even footballs and trainers!! thicko deluxe unless everyone does better you cannot expect a better service. try squeezing out air from your kitchen bin liner before dumping the waste, any food stuffs go in the garden bin anyway. The aim is to reduce land fill, If I can do it with a family of 4 with a small bin and still have room in just over half of it after week 2 so should you all
Taxed because of their incompetence.
Increased council tax, supplemented by the green waste fee, which was previously part of the bundle, and now a diluted service. It’s beyond disgraceful. Please remember this local AND national farce when you next put uour cross on the ballot paper!
More and more tax paid, directly and indirectly and less and less service provided for that money.
What a shambles…
One finds it difficult to get the big bin to the collection area already. When that bin is full of 3 weeks waste I doubt I can safely move it. What am I to do??