Councillors have expressed concern over the council’s decision to change bin collection times in Bath city centre without prior scrutiny, a move that could cost local businesses thousands of pounds each year.
In July, Cabinet Member Mark Elliott approved three amendments to the evening business waste collection schedule, including shifting the time shops can place their bins outside from 5pm to 6pm. While seemingly minor, this adjustment has significant implications; many shops close at 5pm, leaving no one to put bins out at 6pm.
The council’s own financial analysis estimates that affected businesses might incur an additional £3,089 annually in wages to cover this new responsibility. Independent Group Councillor Shaun Hughes stated, “Unintended consequences often arise from council decisions, and scrutiny helps minimize these risks. This decision did not receive adequate scrutiny.”
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Following a call-in by nine councillors from the Independent Group, Green, and Conservative parties, a special scrutiny panel convened on July 29 to review the decision—marking the first time it was subjected to such examination. Both call-in lead Colin Blackburn and panel member Joanna Wright questioned why the proposals bypassed scrutiny beforehand. Wright remarked, “Had this gone through scrutiny earlier, many issues could have been addressed proactively.”
Mark Elliott acknowledged he took over the relevant council portfolio only in May and that this was one of his first decisions. He expressed support for the scrutiny process and committed to bringing future decisions to scrutiny when appropriate. “Scrutiny encourages reflection and collaboration, fostering implementable ideas before decisions are finalized,” Blackburn emphasized. He also warned against treating scrutiny as a last resort, which can lead to inefficiencies like the current call-in.
Elliott explained the policy change aimed to reduce rubbish accumulation on busy streets during early evening hours, responding to public complaints. He noted the £3,089 additional wage estimate was a worst-case scenario, though some businesses have projected even higher potential costs.
The scrutiny committee voted 5-2 to dismiss the call-in, with only Hughes and Wright advocating for reevaluation. Most Liberal Democrat members voted to dismiss the complaint, while one abstained. The revised bin collection policy will be introduced as a 12-month pilot project. Although 93% of the 87 businesses that responded opposed the proposal, this represents only a small fraction of the 1,126 city centre business ratepayers.
Elliott argued that the low consultation response suggested the issue was not widespread. “Moving forward with a pilot is a reasonable approach to test the change,” he said. However, Hughes countered that piloting may not effectively uncover all unintended consequences, advocating for more thorough scrutiny beforehand.
Blackburn criticized the pilot duration, highlighting operational challenges such as changing staff contracts and reorganizing workflows. “Handling these complexities across multiple businesses for an entire year is impractical,” he said.
Charlie Dalton-Ball, representing family-run jeweller S. P. Green & Co, shared his concerns with the committee, stating, “While it looks feasible on paper, this change is unworkable for many businesses like ours, which operate until 5:30pm. The new rules leave no legal time to put out waste while the business is staffed.” Dalton-Ball described the decision as “undemocratic,” noting that low turnout in consultations should not equate to dismissing affected parties’ voices, drawing parallels to council election turnout standards.