Council waste collection scheme dubbed a total failure

A controversial waste collection scheme forced on residents last year has been dubbed a total failure by critics.

Since July 2007, Brent Council has been charging home owners £25 to pick up and dump bulky household items such as fridges and furniture.

Town hall chiefs justified the move by claiming the free service was costing them too much money and charging for it would bring in an extra £275,000 revenue per year.

But recent figures show the scheme generated a paltry £53,000 in 2007/08, prompting calls for it to be axed.

Councillor James Powney, Labour's environmental spoke-sman, said: "Residents pay enough council tax as it is without having to pay extra charges for bulky rubbish collection and the scheme has clearly failed to generate the expected revenue."

Mr Powney also claims the charge has led to a fly-tipping 'epidemic', with residents preferring to illegally dump the items rather than fork out for the £25 charge.

And he also says it has scuppered the borough's recycling efforts: "When the council collects the items they are recycled, but anything that is fly-tipped is deemed as contaminated and taken to landfill.

"This means the charges are actually having a negative impact on the environment and the borough's attempts to lower the recycling rate.

"The scheme is not bringing in the revenue the council expected it to, but it is still having to pick up the tab for collecting fly-tipped rubbish. It is a lose-lose situation."

The councillor backed up his argument by saying that since July 1, 2007, the number of people asking for unwanted items to be taken away from their homes fell by 65 per cent.

The council replied to the allegations by saying it would not be scrapping the charge and said that fly-tipping had actually decreased.

A spokesman said: "Charging ensures that only people who use the service pay for it - whereas before everyone in Brent was subsidising it.

"The service is still free to people receiving benefits and we will also take away a fridge or freezer for free from every household."

Council leader Paul Lorber added that it was never intended to be a money-making service.

Originally, Brent residents were allowed three, free collections every year, where council workers would remove up to five bulky household items to be recycled.