Council raises tax, then slashes bin collections
Liberal Democrat-controlled West Berkshire Council announced on Monday that from September, black bins would be collected on a three-week basis, rather than fortnightly.
Under the new regime, food waste will be collected weekly, recycling fortnightly, but black bins will be emptied just once every three weeks.
It comes after the council, which raised tax by almost 5pc in April, admitted it was facing a £37m shortfall in its provision of special educational needs and disabilities, which could push its overall deficit higher.
The authority faced a starting £12.1m shortfall for the current 2025-2026 tax year, on top of other overspending.
West Berkshire Council has increased tax bills by the maximum 4.99pc – including a 2pc charge for adult social care – every year since 2023. The tax bill for a Band D property is more than £2,300 a year.
Stuart Gourley, the council's executive member for environment and highways, acknowledged the changes could feel 'disruptive' to residents.
He said: 'We understand that changes to waste collection can be challenging and feel disruptive, but we want to reassure residents that this decision has been made with significant thought, care, and a long-term vision for our community..
'This change is necessary to ensure a more sustainable future for West Berkshire. By recycling more and reducing black bin waste, we can protect services, help the environment, and move towards our goal of recycling 60pc of household waste by 2030.'
Those with large families or medical needs can apply for their bins to be collected more frequently, officials said.
'Challenging conditions'
It comes after a council in Surrey cancelled bin collections during a recent heatwave, claiming the weather had led to 'unprecedented absences' amongst staff.
In an email to households, Reigate and Banstead council said it was dealing with 'very challenging working conditions' as a result of the hot weather, meaning that some residents may have missed out on a garden waste collection recently.
Colchester council in Essex, also suspended collections of paper, plastic, cans and glass earlier this month to spare workers from lifting heavy loads in scorching temperatures.
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