Slough bin collections could change to fortnightly pick-ups

The borough is one of only a handful of local authorities to still collect rubbish (grey bins) and recycling (red bins) weekly, but with the need to make gargantuan savings a year, this has forced the council to cut back its services.

The proposed swap is set to be discussed at a scrutiny meeting on Thursday, September 8. No final decision will be made as cabinet will have the final say.

So, what will the new service look like when it comes into effect, which will be on June 26, 2023? It will mean residents will get their rubbish collected in one week and recycling the next.

READ MORE: Slough bin collection swap will make town a "rats' den," readers say

The move would not include blocks of flats with communal bins where collections would remain weekly. The proposals include options for larger households and those with babies in nappies who may struggle to not fill their current grey bin too quickly.

The council says by switching to fortnightly pick-ups, it will save £423,000 in 2023/24 and about £705,000 per year thereafter. It will also encourage more people to recycle as Slough has a poor recycling rate of 28 per cent.

With a mounting debt of £680m and a blackhole of £479m it needs to bridge; the council is needing to make savings of about £20m a year in order to stay stable.

Slough Borough Council (Image: Slough Borough Council)

However, Cllr Mohammed Nazir (Lab: Baylis & Stoke), lead member for environmental services, insisted the local authority has been eyeing the move to alternative weekly collections since 2019.

He said: “We can no longer just stand by, creating mountains of rubbish, unable or unwilling to play our part in the incredibly important movement to improve the world’s environment and combat climate change.”

Previously, the council said swapping to fortnightly bin collections has been ‘on the cards’ amid long troubles with its service, which it blames “severe staffing issues” and the “inability” to secure interim staff.

Slough Observer readers have said the town will become a “rats’ den” and has “disaster written all over it” if the proposed changes happen.

READ MORE: Slough Conservative leader slams £50 garden waste collection charge

Conservative leader Dexter Smith (Colnbrook with Poyle) previously said if the Labour-led council is going down that route, it must introduce weekly collections of food waste to “avoid public health concerns”.

He said: “The introduction of food waste collections will require the council acquiring new collection vehicles and new bins. Residents need, and deserve, to see the whole picture – not a bit-by-bit patchwork – to judge if this makes sense and will deliver the value for money they are entitled to.”

The council is also eyeing to introduce charges for certain types of waste being dumped at Chalvey Household Waste and Recycling Centre, such as timber, windows, doors, plasterboard, tyres, and more.

The proposed charges will range from £3.20 to £26.50 per item. This proposal will also be discussed by councillors sitting on Thursday’s scrutiny panel.