The locations of some 150 public litter bins that could be axed across Wokingham borough have been revealed.
Council leaders say they want to cut the number of bins it needs to empty as part of cost-saving measures designed to protect services for more vulnerable residents. Others will be emptied less frequently.
Liberal Democrat council leader Stephen Conway said the cuts are “necessary considering an ageing population, the cost-of-living crisis and growing numbers of children with special educational needs and disabilities.”
But the Conservative opposition group’s finance spokesperson, Norman Jorgensen, said the council should look for efficiency savings in its back offices instead.
He said: “The first thing to be done isn’t cutting frontline services – they should be the last things to be cut.”
A previous attempt to bring in changes last month resulted in outrage from some residents, with pictures of overflowing bins appearing on social media.
The council had to reverse the move, admitting that it should have consulted residents first before approving the changes with a vote by its leading councillors.
Its new survey, launched on Monday, August 14, lists 150 litter bins earmarked for removal, and asks for residents to comment on any that they would rather be kept.
But it warns: “Remember that we will need to remove around 150 litter bins, so if we remove any from the list, we will need to find others to add.”
It also gives residents the opportunity to add comments and suggestions.
The plans also involve reducing the number of times that some areas of grass are cut from six to four times a year, although grass will be kept “appropriately short” at sports and play areas, and where long grass could block drivers’ views.
Cllr Conway added”: “We can’t overstate the severity of the risk to our finances, nor the dire need to make efficiencies.
“Our consultation is a genuine listening exercise and we urge people to take part, although we’re being honest from the outset – we can look at alternative ideas, but these savings must and will be made somehow.”
But Cllr Jorgensen said: “I don’t think this is the right way to go about it. It will be counterproductive and will lead to fly-tupping and rubbish all over the place.
“If we end up having to get litter pickers to go around picking up litter from paths and parks, it doesn’t seem like the right thing to do to me.”
The survey is being run on the Wokingham Borough Council website., with an interactive map showing the bins that it intends to remove at: https://wokingham.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6e2dfdec9bcb448780c5a3cb12d49df2
Results will be reported to the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on October 2, before a final decision by its ruling Executive Committee on October 26.
Additional reporting: Nick Clark, local democracy reporter
