The centre of Bath has long been “blighted by sacks of waste” left out early in the evening, according to Liberal Democrat councillors pushing for a controversial change to the city’s business waste collection times.
Currently, shops and businesses in Bath city centre must wait until 5pm to put their bins out for the evening waste collection. Starting this September, as part of a year-long pilot scheme by the Liberal Democrat-run Bath and North East Somerset Council, this time will be pushed back to 6pm — a change that comes after many shops have already closed.
A Lib Dem spokesperson explained, “This pilot scheme aims to enhance the experience for residents and visitors, ultimately benefiting businesses. For too long, early evenings have been marked by sacks of waste spilling onto the pavements with gulls scavenging through them. Synchronising waste collection times with the city centre’s security bollard operating hours will prevent queues of lorries waiting to access the area.”
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However, the plan faces significant opposition from the business community. A staggering 93% of businesses who responded to the consultation are against the proposed later collection. For shops that close at 5pm, the change means bearing the cost of staff staying an extra hour just to put bins out — with estimates suggesting the additional expense could total over £3,000 annually.
The council’s Lib Dem spokesperson acknowledged the resistance but stressed the importance of maintaining Bath’s environment: “While some businesses may resist change, our priority as the council of a prestigious city like Bath is to keep the environment attractive for all. Our investment in the city centre has helped businesses thrive and generate more waste. This pilot is about making that growth sustainable.”
On July 2, council cabinet member for resources Mark Elliott signed a decision to implement the new collection times during the trial year starting in September. However, opposition councillors have called in these plans, which means the proposal will now be reviewed by a council scrutiny panel.
Out of 1,126 businesses identified, only 87 responded to the consultation despite efforts to extend the deadline and encourage participation through direct visits. Of these respondents, 43% close at 5pm and 33% close at 5:30pm. Notably, 72% said the cost of keeping staff later to handle waste was “unfair/unaffordable.”
The council’s own consultation report cautioned that “small businesses could be detrimentally affected by a change in permitted collection times during a period of economic challenge.” It also warned of the risk that the policy change might undermine improvements made to the public realm if waste bags are left unattended for longer periods.
In addition to the time change, the pilot will require businesses to label their waste with company name and address, and to use reusable rubbish bags where possible, which can be collected and returned after pickup. These measures received majority backing, with 76% supporting waste labelling and 69% supporting reusable sacks.