(Above: Cllr Maureen Cornish and Local Campaigner and Four Oaks resident Raaj Shamji)
Food Waste and Keeping Household Waste Collections Weekly in Four Oaks
Local Campaigner and Four Oaks resident Raaj Shamji speaks about the new Food Waste Collection Scheme below:
Dear Resident,
As a fellow resident of Four Oaks working closely with Councillor Maureen Cornish, I believe people here deserve clear and honest information about changes that affect our neighbourhood and our families.
You may have received information from Birmingham City Council about a food waste collection pilot being introduced on some roads in Four Oaks.
This will mean a separate bin or caddy for food waste such as leftovers, fruit and vegetable peelings, and similar items. The council plans to collect this weekly.
It is important to understand that this change is not simply a local council decision. National legislation means councils across England are expected to introduce food waste collections over the coming year. In other words, some form of food waste collection is coming anyway.
The concern many neighbours have raised with me is not the principle of reducing waste. It is whether Birmingham City Council can manage another new scheme when it is already struggling to run the services it has.
Across the city we have seen unreliable recycling collections and ongoing problems with waste services. We still have no clear indication of when recycling and garden waste collections will fully return, while the council has indicated it intends to move toward fortnightly household waste collections.
Food waste may be collected weekly, but that should not mean residents in Four Oaks are left with fortnightly collections for ordinary household rubbish. Families here expect reliable local services.
Councillor Maureen Cornish and local Conservatives have been clear that we will continue to argue for weekly household waste collections, alongside the proper return of recycling and garden waste services. If you would like to let us know your views, please fill out the below survey.
Yours sincerely,
Raaj Shamji
Four Oaks Resident
Local Conservative Campaigner