VIDEO: Council rubbishes bin collection opposition

The policy, which aims to boost recycling rates and applies to non-recyclable ‘black bin’ waste, is currently being extended across Banbridge District Council’s area.

But a meeting last night heard a strongly-worded statement from a group opposing the plans (excepts from which appear at the end of this piece).

Branding the move “ludicrous”, and claiming that councillors are deaf to the concerns of their constituents, the written declaration was read out during a session of the council – and drew an angry response from some of the politicians themselves.

It had been suggested a delegation of close to 190 protestors had wanted to converge on the Civic Building.

But there were only 30 seats available, and the organisers of the petition said they were “not in a position to control that number of irate ratepayers”, so instead a small group spoke on their behalf.

Headed by Paul Scappaticci, a 55-year-old Banbridge resident, their statement laid out health fears about the plans, and annoyance at what they claimed was the lack of engagement with residents over the proposals.

Mr Scappaticci said 1,512 objectors had signed their paper petition in around one week, with a further 758 objecting online over a period of around two weeks.

They left the chamber after delivering their message, and their comments then drew a sharp response from councillors at the monthly meeting.

One accused the group of “scaremongering”, while another said the council was never going to be able to convince “Luddites” of the merits of the scheme, which has been trialled in a small area since January and is now being extended much further.

It is thought to be the only one-month collection scheme in Northern Ireland – and perhaps even the whole of the UK.

When they came to speak, councillors were highly supportive of the scheme.

First to respond to the protestors was UUP councillor Carol Black, who declared angrily that she “took offence” at the suggestion she does not listen to her constituents.

She said those with concerns about the scheme could call her to help work them out: “But this is scaremongering.”

Fellow UUP councillor John Hanna said when trains were invented, along with electricity and the telephone, they too met with objections.

His voice rising, he told the meeting he “resents” the suggestion he does not listen to the public, and said: “I’ve done it for 22 years and I continue to do it, irrespective of spurious remarks.”

The scheme is necessary for environmental and cost reasons, he said, but added: “No doubt we won’t be able to bring Luddites with us.”

There are three bins which householders receive – brown ones (for compostable waste), green ones (for glass, tins, plastic, paper and other recyclables) and black ones for non-recyclable material.

The council had been trialling the once-per-month black bin collections in the Gilford, Loughbrickland and Poyntzpass areas since January.

The idea is to encourage householders to recycle more using the green bin, and to throw less into the black one.

In the last week or so, it has been extending to Banbridge town, Rathfriland and Dromore, and now covers about 15 out of the 25 collection routes.

It is expected to continue until at least spring next year, when the new supercouncil – covering Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon – will begin getting fully up-and-running. It will not expand before then.

The protestors said they feared an increase in fly-tipping if black bin space was reduced, and that leaving things like nappies in a bin for a month could pose health problems.