Brighton and Hove Greens have criticised a consultation over communal bins for some of the area’s historic regency squares and terraces.
The Greens said that the Labour administration had made clear its preference for communal bins.
They were also concerned that the consultation would be ignored if it showed a lack of support.
Labour has failed to make a compelling case for changing the current system of collecting from basement wheelie bins, the Greens said today (Friday 18 March).
The consultation was agreed at a meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee earlier this week.
The Greens wanted the consultation to include the option of keeping the current system but they were outvoted by Labour and Conservative councillors.
As a result, the consultation makes the assumption that the present system will be changed. It asks residents whether they prefer to use communal bins or leave rubbish sacks out on the streets overnight for collection.
The changes would affect Lewes Crescent, Sussex Square, Chichester Terrace and Arundel Terrace, in Brighton, and Brunswick Square, Brunswick Terrace, Palmeira Square and Adelaide Crescent, in Hove.
Green councillor Ollie Sykes, who represents Brunswick and Adelaide Ward, said: “After a protracted engagement period with residents, the Labour council has completely failed to listen to their concerns or make a compelling case for why the current system needs to be changed beyond vague health and safety concerns.
“They have shown no willingness to work with residents to address any health and safety issues or improve the current system.
“Labour’s track record on consultation is very poor, with consultations on children centres and youth services showing over 87 per cent of people opposed to cuts but Labour continuing with its plans regardless.
“We are not convinced this consultation will be any different and are concerned that the Labour council has already made up its mind.
“Currently Labour is living up to its reputation as the council that doesn’t listen.
“There is a better option. As ward councillors, Greens can help Labour to engage properly with residents and come to a joint solution that works for everyone.
“It’s time Labour stopped trying to work against the city.”
It’s a bit much the greens, who lost the last election because they did not listen to the views of residents, visitors or businesses and instead just imposed their various ideological schemes on the city with no proper analysis to make sure they had a predefined success criteria, are now the ones to criticize others for doing the very same!
Perhaps Ollie might recall that the greens, as a result of their previous arrogance, are now the third smallest party and that now 2 other parties who seem to have a more pragmatic approach to running the city, are now in charge.
I completely agree with Gerald Wiley.I have seen how greens destroyed every road in Brighton and Hove and made single traffic every where in the name of traffic management. They managed to create traffic jam in the roads which I did not see in past 15 years of being in Brighton.waste millions on the roads which had nothing wrong with them while there are holes in many main roads.spending lots of budget to fancy stone paving parts of roads for example around Brighton station just to take them all out in few months and put asphalt back ! Pure pure madness ! I thinks they have to be held responsible for all that money they wasted .
The safety concerns are related to the binmen having to go downstairs to the basement bin stores. There is no evidence whatsoever that this is unsafe. Postmen, couriers, delivery people also have to carry things down the stairs to basement flats and that will continue without any issues. The Greens are right to point out that maintaining the current system was not offered as an option.
You wouldn’t be Alex Phillips by any chance?some of those basement get very little, if any sun so are prone to be damp.Have you ever tried carrying anything other than a letter up or down the Steps ,as a Green I would have thought you would have spent your time in Office trying to get the Recycling levels up to a decent standard but you even failed to do that perhaps an idea would be to build small enclosures so that Communal Bins could be placed so as not to make the squares any worse than they already are.
The same Alex Phillips who deserted her constituents to do part of her teacher-training in Africa, claiming that it was ‘vital’ for her personal and spiritual growth…
Oh, this is too much! It’s almost too rich! The incapable and incompetent Green Party criticising others regarding refuse collection!
The sheer incompetence of this appalling bunch of Marxist loons led to Brighton having the lowest levels of recycling in the South East during their tenure…
Consultation for the communal recycling in the City Centre basically was:
it’s coming will you use it
yes or no
Bin here, here, here, here
yes or no
All because Veolia have us over a barrel with the £1000000000 contract to burn the rubbish
If BHCC do not get enough to burn Veolia make more money (using the spare capacity) and we end up paying more per tonne.
Stitched up and ALL local parties have had a hand in shaping the mess.
Surprised at Ollie, he knows full well council officers run consultations, as an ex resident of Brunswick many residents want these bins, its going into the bin stores themselves that is the problem, not just stairs, full of rats and rotting rubbish because not everyone seems to have received their training on how to put rubbish in a bin! poor show greens, talk to your residents!