Rubbish and street cleaning services in Sandwell are on course to be privatised – but residents are being reassured weekly bin collections will continue.
A decision is set to be made on which firm will take over the running of services next month.
But residents were today reassured current rubbish collection arrangements would not change. Last year, furious binmen and street cleaners threatened a mass walkout over the proposals to privatise waste services, which would see 265 jobs transferred to the private sector.
But the council is moving forward with its plans to agree a £250 million contract with a private firm to run a range of services, including bin collections, street cleaning and waste management.
Councillor Mahboob Hussain, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and housing, said: “Over the past few months we have been working on the waste improvement plan and exploring all of the options to improve the waste service.
“A final report is expected to come to cabinet in June to firm up the next steps.
“We will continue to provide a weekly waste collection and we have ruled out any ‘pay as you throw’ charges.”
The authority claims waste services are suffering as large amounts of waste is going to landfill, which leaves it facing hefty fines.
However, it has issued pledges to its staff, including a promise that jobs are safe and pay and pension rights will be protected.
It also says a further 20 jobs could be created.
Sandwell aims to enter into an agreement with an expert private partner to collect, treat and dispose of up to 200,000 tons of waste a year and invest millions in two specialist plants to treat and recycle waste.
If plans are passed next month, the new contractual arrangement would start in July 2009.
Up to around 165 existing council staff in waste and around 100 in street cleaning could potentially transfer to the private partner, which would continue to provide these services for the people of Sandwell on behalf of the council.
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2 Comments
yep, and when the contract is finalised watch out for big rises as per our utilities companies, what did politicians tell us when they sold off rail, bus, gas, electric services it won’t cost you the public any more than under us and we will ensure to oversee what you are charged.
As said before you want to see the flying pigs display team come to Cannock, i thought Cannock Council was bad enough until i read blogs on this site about Sandwell Council. :))
Hang on to your hats its gonna get much worse yet.
Get snouts out the trough party.
If Sandwell face fines for landfill perhaps they can explain to us “prols”, what a private company is going to do with it. My council tax is for counil services not the shareholders of private companies, who no doubt, will demand a 30% year on year increase in profit or the company will be deemed non viable. Literally sweeping the dirt under the carpet, Sandwell wish to reach government waste handling and recycling targets by fudging the system. Maybe leader Bill Thomas will give a written Guarantee that no year on year profit rise will be added to a failing councils exhorbitant tax bill.