Council 'wastes' £300k on storing gull-proof sacks

The new bins will prevent birds such as gulls foraging

Thousands of wheelie bins and gull-proof sacks, which are due to be given to every household in Cornwall, are being stored at a cost of £300,000.

The Liberal Democrats criticised Cornwall Council’s Conservative regime for storing the bins since 2021 and “wasting taxpayers’ money”.

The Lib Dems said every household in Cornwall was due to receive a new wheelie bin or reusable sack as part of the waste collection contract signed with Biffa before the 2021 council election.

The council states residents of Cornwall will still receive the bins and sacks, as well as an outdoor food waste caddy and kitchen food waste caddy, as it rolls out its new waste collection system which has been delayed to allow for upgrades at recycling sites.

'Looking unsightly'

The Lib Dems say when the Conservatives took control of the council in 2021, a decision was made to leave the bins in storage at a secret location.

Acting Lib Dem Colin Martin said: "Every day across Cornwall, hundreds of bin bags are torn open by birds and animals, and rubbish is spilled into the environment.

"Aside from looking unsightly, the litter can be a hazard to health and, of course, much of the plastic ends up stuck in our rivers and seas.

"There is simply no excuse for spending our money on warehouse storage when these bins could be in use outside our homes."

The precise cost was revealed by a Freedom of Information (FOI) request made by Liskeard town councillor Naomi Taylor.

The council’s response states £303,511.18 has been spent so far on storing the bins.

Last year the council agreed to spend an extra £62m on getting ready for a new waste and recycling collection service, which includes new vehicles and facilities to process waste, particularly in relation to food waste, says the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

'Upgrade delays'

A Cornwall Council spokesperson said: "As part of changes to rubbish and recycling collections being rolled out in stages over the next two years, every household in Cornwall will receive a new wheelie bin or protective reusable sack, an outdoor food waste caddy and a kitchen food waste caddy.

"There will be no cost to households for the new bins and the changes will ensure we recycle far more waste in Cornwall than we do currently.

"We purchased the bins in 2021 to ensure prices were fixed as low as possible, and to prevent supply chain issues and inflationary costs of production.

"To date it has proven cheaper to store these bins than to purchase them at today’s prices. There have been delays while work continues to upgrade our waste and recycling transfer sites to allow the new waste collection service to start."