Today, the Conservative controlling group on Wyre Forest District Council announced their desire to restore weekly bin collections in Wyre Forest. The move comes five years after the local Health Concern Group, in a hugely unpopular move, foisted fortnightly collections on angry Wyre Forest residents.
The Conservative options to be considered may see the current 240 litre wheelie bins being used for fortnightly recycling collections - an increase from the current 100 litres; whilst the existing two 50 litre recycling boxes will be replaced with 120 litre wheelie bins for normal household waste, to be collected weekly. At the same time, Conservative leader John Campion and Cabinet holder Tracey Onslow announced a widening of recycle-able waste. In one move, recycling quantities will go up and health and hygiene problems will go down. This move marks Wyre Forest as one of the first councils in the country to start the process to end unpopular fortnightly collections.
Wyre Forest's Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman said of the move: "This is one of the best bits of news I have heard in Wyre Forest for some time. If the downgrading of Kidderminster's hospital was the most unpopular thing to happen in Wyre Forest in the last ten years, then the move to fortnightly bin collections was the second. It is ironic that Health Concern was elected to save the hospital, but instead gave us fortnightly bin collections.
"Importantly, in their 2004 manifesto, Conservatives pledged to look, in a joined up fashion, at the way the District's rubbish is collected. The aim has been to reduce costs whilst at the same time ending Health Concern's hugely unpopular fortnightly refuse collection. Conservatives on Wyre Forest District Council have been working since then to deliver on both the community's interests and their promises.
"This move is incredibly important and I am proud to be associated with the work of John Campion and Tracey Onlsow - pioneers amongst district councillors across the country in restoring common sense and basic public services. I know Wyre Forest will set a precedent that other authorities will want to follow."