All four Labour MPs in Kirklees have called on Kirklees Council to reconsider its plans to replace grey wheelie bins with new smaller ones.

Harpreet Uppal (Huddersfield), Paul Davies (Colne Valley), Kim Leadbeater (Spen Valley) and Jade Botterill (Ossett and Denby Dale) issued a joint statement condemning the idea.

As first revealed by Huddersfield Hub, the council’s draft budget for 2025-26 included a proposal to replace the grey bins at all 160,000 homes across the district with a bin three-quarters of the size.

The idea was to encourage people to recycle more, and the council said it would more than recoup the cost of the new bins through savings in waste disposal. Councils are charged by the tonne for the waste they send to landfill or for incineration.

But the suggestion from the Labour Cabinet – out for public consultation along with the rest of the draft budget – provoked a storm of protest from local people, opposition councillors and now even MPs from their own party.

 

In a joint statement, the MPs said: “Kirklees Council’s recent decision to consult on reducing the size of household waste bins by 25% has led to concerns being raised by our residents.

“The plan, which aims to address budget shortfalls, seems to overlook the practical implications for our communities.

“We understand the budgetary challenges facing local authorities like Kirklees and welcome efforts to encourage residents to recycle more and support climate commitments.

“However, residents are already struggling with overflowing bins which needs urgent attention.

“We are worried that the council’s decision may be a short-term financial fix but could lead to long-term issues of increased fly-tipping and increased costs associated with managing waste disposal.

“We are in discussions with Kirklees Council to reconsider this decision and explore alternative solutions to sustainable waste management.”

Council documents say introducing new bins could save £131,000 in 2025-26 and £395,000 the year after but, when quizzed on the details at a meeting, Cabinet member for the environment Clr Munir Ahmed couldn’t provide an explanation on how the figures were worked out.

Cabinet members have since tried to distance themselves from the proposal saying it was a suggestion from council officers and was merely part of draft budget consultations.

Public consultation on the draft budget for 2025-26 is open now and runs until midnight on January 15 2025. The survey is live at https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/budget

 

Kirklees Council bin collection dates for Christmas 2024 and January 2025 and when council tips are open