News

Sandhurst residents lose brown bin Ombudsman battle

By Jennie Slevin
December 06, 2012

Neighbours fighting council charges on a garden waste collection scheme have lost their battle.

Members of Sandhurst Residents’ Association (SRA) reported their issues with Bracknell Forest Council’s brown bin collection to the Local Government Ombudsman, following claims the council breached its contract over garden waste.

David Vousden, SRA secretary, said: “We knew we were up against a brick wall, but we had to make the point. There were a lot of people who where quite upset about it, but the council have chosen not to recognise that.”

The association believes the council broke a contractual agreement with people who paid a one-off £30 fee for a brown bin, when the decision was made to introduce a new collection charge of an extra £30 per year.

The ombudsman ruled the council was not at fault and had not entered into a contractual agreement.

David said: “We have never been against the £30 collection charge, but a lot of people believed they had a contract with the council.”

The 67-year-old added: “We shall continue to make sure the council knows we are looking at what they are doing.”

Councillor Paul Bettison, Bracknell Forest Council leader, said: “It’s always pleasing when the Ombudsman doesn’t find fault with the council and I’m very pleased about the council’s extremely good record.” He continued: “Why should your council tax pay for garden waste if you live in a first floor flat?

“How is it fair that you should pay for somebody who lives in a detached house to have their extra waste removed?

“It was just about being fairer. Unfortunately, Mr Vousden didn’t understand that.”

Cllr Bettison added: “Although we’re now charging, we’re still asking for a lot less than many other councils.

“Wokingham charges twice as much as us and only takes a couple of sacks, we take a whole bin.”

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Most recent user comments 3 of 3

It is disappointing that Councillor Bettison has chosen to personalise the stand that the SRA took of challenging the council’s decision to apply a £30 collection fee for brown bins, by commenting that I did not understand that it was about fairness. Let me clarify: the SRA challenged the introduction of the charge because we, with many other residents (some 200 plus who left messages of support on our brownbincon@hotmail.co.uk website) believed that when the brown bins were purchased, that cost included collection. Given that the issue only applied to residents who had already purchased brown bins it is patently obvious that it did not refer to residents in 1st floor flats and it seems convenient that in these times of austerity when finance is an issue, the fairness argument has suddenly become a mitigating factor. Why now and not in 2006 when the option to buy a brown bin was introduced or in the subsequent years?

As I understand it, in the UK we live in a socio economic democracy. In broad terms that means we all share in the costs of running our society and inevitably there will be winners and losers. If you take the argument of fairness to its logical conclusion all of us would only pay for those functions from which we personally benefit. Would it not be refreshing if the council held its hands up and accepted that many residents were unintentionally misled in 2006 and apologised.

David Vousden, Owlsmoor
10/12/2012 at 16:12

Cllr Bettison- does a person in a flat without a car, dog or kids pay for roadsm dog wardens and schools? Seems a bit selective to try and justify poor work. I don't believe it is about being fairer, you cocked up with the maths and had to change an existing arrangement. "It’s always pleasing when the Ombudsman doesn’t find fault with the council"- it's very sad that it had to go to the Ombudsman, don't sound so happy about it, it makes you look like an arrogant, pompous, well, councillor (I was going to say something rude but am not going to give you the pleasure).

Wobbly Bob
07/12/2012 at 13:14

@Cllr Bettison - no, Wokingham charges twice as much, but also takes a whole bin. For "a couple of sacks", they charge £2. I don't agree with the charges in Wokingham, and I do think you've gone back on a previous promise, but I can't stand justification using lies.