Plans to defer the introduction of the new waste and recycling scheme, including weekly food collections and wheeled bins, throughout Powys have been agreed by board members today.
The choice to delay the start of the new scheme by Powys County Council has been influenced by a number of external factors;
Earlier this year, the Welsh Assembly Government issued a revised, more accommodating, landfill allowance for Powys. This means that, unlike previously expected, if we at least maintain our current recycling rates, we may not face financial fines for sending our waste to landfill until 2013/14.
Together with the council’s current financial position with the budget deficit and below average increase to the grant settlement received from WAG, it was deemed appropriate to hold off on spending the money on a new scheme at this current time.
“Budgets are under severe pressure and we have had to take some very difficult decisions” says Cllr Ken Harris, Board Member for Waste and Sustainability.
“By giving ourselves some breathing space before introducing the scheme across the county we are making sure that we spend public money in the best way possible, whilst ensuring that residents receive the best value for money from their council tax.
“Over the past few months we have held a series of roadshows and community talks across the county where we have gathered some excellent feedback and comments from residents about the new scheme. We will use this invaluable information to help with the implementation process of the scheme in the future, and would like to thank residents for taking the time to give us their thoughts.”
In the meantime, Powys County Council still remains committed to increasing the amount of waste that is recycled throughout the county. We urge residents to continue doing their bit to recycle as much of their household waste as possible through the current collections systems, community recycling sites, household waste and recycling sites and home composting.
Details of when the new scheme will be introduced across the county will be available in the new year.
