Council to save on cleaning 'litter-strewn' streets

Rubbish left on Ashgrove in Bradford

Bradford Council is proposing to make savings of £1.5m by taking fewer trips to empty public bins.

The cut is one of multiple measures the council is proposing to save £40m this financial year, which it needs to do for the next five years to become "financially stable".

Senior councillors will discuss the proposals at the council's executive meeting on 5 November.

But litter-picking groups say this is an issue that needs more support, not less.

"You just have to walk slightly out the city centre and go down the side streets where people live," said Judy Wetherell who is part of a litter-picking group in the village of Queensbury.

"There's graffiti, there's endless beds, there's fridges dumped and loads of bags of rubbish that aren't picked up.

"Bradford Council has a strict policy that if your bin is above a certain height they won't empty them, so then they're overflowing."

Part of the same group is Susan Meah who added that "fly-tipping is a big problem" and both want the council to do more about it.

Susan Meah (left) and Judy Wetherell volunteer to pick-up litter in Queensbury on Wednesdays

The council believes it can save the £1.5m this year by emptying public bins less often.

It said it would compensate by having larger bins which do not need to be emptied as often and would be "more efficient".

These latest savings follow three recycling centres permanently closing in Queensbury, Ilkley and Keighley back in April.

Kash Ahmed, who volunteers for the Bradford 4 Better group, said: "I think it should be a two way thing."

He added that his group is "happy to help" but needs funds to buy equipment, adding that council refuse collectors making fewer trips to bigger bins "may cause more problems than it solves".

Mr Ahmed said: "It is an issue that has been going on for so long that we don't think it will be solved any time soon."

'Dirty, broken, litter-strewn'

The council, run by Labour, is under financial strain and has put forward 47 savings proposals in a bid to plug the gap by 2025/26.

Councillor Brendan Stubbs, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council, said cuts to front-line services have not been matched by savings on big projects.

He said: "The success rate for these so called regeneration schemes is pretty poor with the under-occupied One City Park, delays to Darley Street Market and at least a year more to wait for Bradford Live to open.

"People are tired of the empty regeneration promises from Labour while outside their front door, things get worse.

"Street cleaning is not just about cleaning, it is about pride and a sense of safety on our streets.

"Dirty, broken and litter-strewn streets increase anxiety and encourages vandalism."

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, who is responsible for this area of policy, said: "It isn't about shifting the burden to community groups, because we already have dedicated people who are passionate about their area."

She said the changes would make the service more efficient.

Ms Ferriby also said while "there are no plans" to make refuse collectors redundant, there may be vacancies that are not filled.

"It is the same in any major city, but the council has always encouraged people not to drop their litter," she said.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.