People will need to buy their own black bags (From Ledbury Reporter)

People will need to buy their own black bags

12:10pm Saturday 23rd June 2012 in Ledbury

LEDBURY people will soon need to buy their own black bags to throw away their rubbish.

Herefordshire Council has confirmed it will “reluctantly”

be withdrawing the black bag service in a bid to save £200,000 a year.

This will take effect in the autumn, although the council will continue to deliver transparent recycling bags.

The council leader, Councillor John Jarvis, said that due to the high levels of recycling in Herefordshire, residents were often only leaving out half-filled bags each week.

He added: “By the time you take into account the cost of buying the black sacks, advertising them in the local media and having them delivered, the cost was more than £3 per property.”

However Ledbury Town councillor Tony Bradford believes that is a small price to pay for a basic service, and described the council’s decision as “penny foolish”.

“To do something like this to save £200,000 is absolutely outrageous and I’ve already had people coming up to me in the street about it,” he said.

“I think one of the problems will be that some people will just not go out and buy their own bags, particularly those who are out of work, on lowincome or pensioners who are trying to get by on very little every week when times are already extremely tight.”

He added: “Imagine if we as a town council took the same attitude towards supplying dog bags, what would happen then?

“I think this could have consequences on the environment and it is just going to add to the litter problems that already exist in Ledbury.