Bin wars break out after Tory warns of a Milton Keynes winter rubbish nightmare

Milton Keynes Council leaders say they have to press on with the trial at the same time as holding a public consultation exercise so they can re-shape contracts in time for 2023.

A decision to launch the trial, which is due to start on October 26, was made earlier this year, but another decision was made this week on launching a city-wide 12 week public consulation exercise.

Conservative public realm spokesman Cllr Dan Gilbert (Cons, Loughton & Shenley) and Green party stalwart Alan Francis found themselves on the same side of the argument for different reasons.

Cllr Gilbert told Tuesday’s delegated decisions meeting that he worried about the effect of holding a wheelie bin trial involving 3,000 households during a coronavirus second wave.

He warned that the council was “opening a Pandora’s bin” with each household expected to have three or four bins, and big families not having enough space for all their rubbish.

He urged the council to “pause, reflect, and consult” first to “avoid a Christmas bin nightmare.”

Green party stalwart Alan Francis, a councillor in New Bradwell but speaking in a “personal capacity,” wants people in the parish council area to be given the choice of having wheelie bins or boxes.

He said many streets in New Bradwell are terraced Victorian housing and people would have to drag four bins every week through their homes.

“They should have the choice between wheelie bins and boxes,” he said, calling on the council to be more democratic.

Lib Dem father and daughter councillors Robin and Kerrie Bradburn (Bradwell and Broughton respectively) swung behind the Labour administration’s policies.

Cllr Kerrie Bradburn, whose motion to full council last year fired the starting gun on the trial, said there is “much excitement on Facebook” about an anticipated city wide adoption of wheelie bins.

She appealed for everyone in Milton Keynes to respond to a consulation exercise that is due to start in November.

And Cllr Robin Bradburn blasted the Conservatives for making a “negative response” to the changes.

“It is a pilot, and mitigations are in place for the elderly and vulnerable,” he said.

“Bins are more effective than bags in a pandemic.”

He said the Conservatives were not being a “good opposition” and urged them to step back.

Labour’s cabinet member for public realm and housing services, Cllr Emily Darlington (Bletchley East), said the council would be “irresponsible if it did not make these decisions.”

The council wants to have a new mega contract ready to go out to tender in time to have a brand new waste service in place for 2023.

“We’ve got to make a decision by March,” she said.

“We need to test things out, we need to understand, or we will be taking the wrong decisions.

“We will find out what residents think and want through the consultation.”