10 signatures reached
To: Highland Council
Bin the Brown Bin Charge / Tax
Overturn their decision to implement an additional charge of £30 per year for 12 uplifts.
Why is this important?
This decision hasn't been thoroughly thought through and has sparked a mass outcry on any posts advertising this move by Highland Council. Highland Council have slapped a 3% increase on council tax bands A to H and this stealth tax of £30 will affect the worst off who will have to choices, and be left with nowhere to put their garden waste which is currently uplifted.
I know an elderly person in our neighbourhood, with no transport but a large garden. Where will he put his grass clippings? He'll be forced to send them to landfill as he can't afford the extra charge!
Highland Council also haven't considered the wider community impact with many local people using the bin to remove Council grass clippings, leaves, bushes and branches that would normally be left on the streets of communities. What will the streets look like when this is impemented and people no longer have good will towards the council.
This goes further, flytipping will increase as people try to rid themselves of items they previously placed in a bin.
Increased landfill charges will soon put a dent in the estimated £660,000 the council set out to make, which is based on 22,000 people taking up this service. Based on social media response, the council may be doing well if they make half this figure.
All the old bins will be dumped in neighbourhoods and ultimately end up increasing the space we consume in landfill - there will be little to no other use for the hundreds not required. Should the council change tack in future, what will he financial and impact on our plant to manufacture hundreds of new bins?
The service will operate as before, teams visiting each street in diesel operated waste trucks. Instead of making many collections, a few per street if they are lucky? These inefficiencies are a means to an end but to have these vehicles polluting our streets for a few bins is counterproductive to climate change.
Each person to opt in will receive a sticker for their bin. The admin associated with this entire idea will be even more of a drain on the already under resourced council.
There are many more arguments as to why this is ludicrous, you only need to look at Highland Council social media to see the upset this had caused and the wave of unrest as this charge is lumped on top of the already increasing taxes we pay.
My worry is that these charges are the thin end of the wedge. Once people start paying for a brown bin collection, what will be introduced next year to 'balance the books'.
Please resist these charges and sign this petition to send a strong message that this is unacceptable and will hit those that can't afford it worst! Everyone deserves a place to live, a tidy green space to enjoy and refuse collections to keep their space and streets tidy.
I know an elderly person in our neighbourhood, with no transport but a large garden. Where will he put his grass clippings? He'll be forced to send them to landfill as he can't afford the extra charge!
Highland Council also haven't considered the wider community impact with many local people using the bin to remove Council grass clippings, leaves, bushes and branches that would normally be left on the streets of communities. What will the streets look like when this is impemented and people no longer have good will towards the council.
This goes further, flytipping will increase as people try to rid themselves of items they previously placed in a bin.
Increased landfill charges will soon put a dent in the estimated £660,000 the council set out to make, which is based on 22,000 people taking up this service. Based on social media response, the council may be doing well if they make half this figure.
All the old bins will be dumped in neighbourhoods and ultimately end up increasing the space we consume in landfill - there will be little to no other use for the hundreds not required. Should the council change tack in future, what will he financial and impact on our plant to manufacture hundreds of new bins?
The service will operate as before, teams visiting each street in diesel operated waste trucks. Instead of making many collections, a few per street if they are lucky? These inefficiencies are a means to an end but to have these vehicles polluting our streets for a few bins is counterproductive to climate change.
Each person to opt in will receive a sticker for their bin. The admin associated with this entire idea will be even more of a drain on the already under resourced council.
There are many more arguments as to why this is ludicrous, you only need to look at Highland Council social media to see the upset this had caused and the wave of unrest as this charge is lumped on top of the already increasing taxes we pay.
My worry is that these charges are the thin end of the wedge. Once people start paying for a brown bin collection, what will be introduced next year to 'balance the books'.
Please resist these charges and sign this petition to send a strong message that this is unacceptable and will hit those that can't afford it worst! Everyone deserves a place to live, a tidy green space to enjoy and refuse collections to keep their space and streets tidy.
