Gove tells 'bingate' council to apologise

Michael Gove has told South Kesteven District Council to apologise over "bingate"

Government minister Michael Gove has urged the leader of South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) to apologise for missed bin collections.

Thousands of recycling bins have been left at the kerbside since a new recycling regime started.

Mr Gove said the people of South Kesteven needed answers and an apology.

Council leader Ashley Baxter said he would only apologise if those who recycled properly had not had their bins collected.

The new recycling scheme uses two bins.

The council explained: "Households are now being asked to place clean and dry paper and cardboard in their purple-lidded bins, while items such as plastic tubs and bottles, glass, tins and cans still go in the silver bin for recycling."

Purple bins are for "dry, clean waste card and paper"

Mr Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, attacked SKDC over what he called "bingate" in a video clip posted on social media platform X by the council's Conservative opposition leader Graham Jeal.

Mr Gove called on Mr Baxter to extend a formal apology to residents whose bins had not been collected.

Mr Gove said: “South Kesteven District Council has had great Conservative representation in the past, but I am concerned about Ashley Baxter, the Independent leader, that the bingate scandal still hasn’t had an appropriate answer or apology.

“I support good local government, whatever the party that is in charge. But the people of South Kesteven need answers, I suspect they need an apology – Ashley, over to you.”

'Inappropriate items'

At a full council meeting on Thursday, Mr Baxter, an Independent, was reluctant to issue what he called an “extorted” apology, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“To any of those people who had bins rejected for whatever reason, I apologise,” said Mr Baxter.

He later clarified that he refused to apologise to residents found to be contaminating their recycling bins with inappropriate items, such as dirty nappies, which he explained had never been accepted in recycling bins.

“Those bins should have been rejected,” he said.

In February, it was reported that bin collectors had been abused by angry residents whose bins had not been collected.

After the latest purple bin collection, SKDC said recycling was getting better and only 2% of purple bins contained the wrong waste.

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