By John Wimperis, local democracy reporter: Opposition councillors are challenging a change to business bin collections in Bath which could effectively cost shops more than £3,000 to close at 5pm.
Bath and North East Somerset Council is launching a year-long pilot to change the time that city centre businesses can put their waste out for the evening business waste collection. In September, it will change from 5pm to 6pm. The Liberal Democrat administration has said it will stop Bath being “blighted by sacks of waste” in the early evening and prevent queues of lorries.
But 93% of businesses who responded to the consultation were opposed to the plan. The council’s own analysis warns that it could cost shops which shut at 5pm £3,089.13 a year in additional wages for someone to stick around for another hour just to put the bins out.
Now a cross-party group of councillors have signed a call-in of the decision to implement the change. The decision will now come before the council’s climate emergency and sustainability scrutiny panel on July 29, which will vote on whether to support the call-in and ask for the decision to be reconsidered.
Independent Group spokesperson Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North) said: “Business is incredibly challenging in today’s climate — particularly for food, hospitality and retail in our city. That’s why it’s vital we challenge any decisions that will negatively impact local traders.
“The Independent Council Group, together with members of the Conservative and Green parties in a cross-party call-in, are committed to supporting our city centre businesses and ensuring their voices are heard.”
Call-in lead Colin Blackburn (Westmoreland, Independent Group) said: “The potential impact on our city centre cannot be ignored. Adding over £3,000 in staff costs is simply unsustainable for many businesses. Traders have made their concerns clear, yet the council continues to overlook them. We must stand up for our local economy and protect the future of our city centre.”
Councillors have also warned that the £3,000 estimate may be “significantly underestimated.” The call-in letter states: “Many local businesses operate seven days a week, and refuse collections occur daily meaning the actual financial impact is likely much higher. In addition, many independent traders close around 4pm during winter months.
“Being required to stay open until 6pm means additional staffing costs that go beyond just hourly wages. Premises may also need to remain heated and lit, increasing energy bills. The figure quoted by B&NES — based on 253 hours at national minimum wage — fails to account for National Insurance, PAYE tax, or pension contributions.
“This is a poor and misleading summary that suggests the decision was neither fully planned nor properly thought through.”
Members of the separate Independents for B&NES group on the council have also criticised the plans, although they are not signatories to the call-in. Gavin Heathcote (Peasedown, Independents for B&NES) said: “You just couldn’t make it up! At a time when businesses are struggling to pay their bills and keep their doors open, Lib Dem run B&NES Council now plans to change their waste collection times that will cost businesses and the taxpayer even more.”
A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats on Bath and North East Somerset Council defended the plan. They said: “This pilot scheme is being brought in to make the experience for residents and visitors better, which in turn benefits businesses.
“For too long, early evenings have been blighted by sacks of waste spilling over the pavements, and gulls feasting on whatever they can. By consolidating the time the waste collectors can operate with the hours of operation of the city centre security bollards, there will not be queues of lorries waiting to get in the area.
“There will always be a few businesses resistant to change, but like any other council in charge of a highly prestigious city like Bath, we have to ensure we keep the environment as attractive as possible to all. Because of the administration’s investment in Bath city centre, businesses are thriving and creating more waste. This is about keeping that success sustainable.”
Out of 1,126 businesses identified, just 87 responded to the consultation — despite the council extending the consultation by another week and “doorstepping” businesses to try to encourage them to respond. The consultation ran from February 20 to April 7. Of the businesses that responded, 43% close at 5pm and a further 33% close at 5.30. 72% of them said that the extra cost of paying staff to stay later just to deal with waste was “unfair/unaffordable.”
The council’s own consultation report warned: “The consultation has shown that small businesses could be detrimentally affected by a change in permitted collection times during a period of economic challenge. There is also a risk that this change in policy could undermine the progress made in improving the public realm in recent years, particularly if it results in business waste bags being left unattended for extended periods.”
At the same time, the pilot also trials a requirement for businesses to label their waste with their company name and address and for them to use reusable rubbish bags instead of single use sacks, where they can be collected and returned to the shop after the collection. 76% of businesses responding to the consultation supported labelling waste and 69% supported the use of reusable waste sacks.
The councillors who signed the call-in were:
- Colin Blackburn (Westmoreland, Independent Group)
- Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North, Independent Group)
- Alan Hale (Keynsham South, Independent Group)
- June Player (Westmoreland, Independent Group)
- Tim Warren (Midsomer Norton Redfield, Conservative)
- Sarah Evans (Midsomer Norton Redfield, Conservative)
- Joanna Wright (Lambridge, Green)
- Saskia Heijltjes (Lambridge, Green)
- Sam Ross (Clutton and Farmborough, Green)
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