Expensive Waste.

[jambutty]

Once upon a time if a resident of Blackburn with Darwen had some bulky waste to dispose of, like an armchair/settee/sideboard/bed etc or large cardboard boxes they could ring the Cleansing Department (585921) and it would be collected in due course free of charge.

Not any more.

I have several large cardboard boxes that contained various electrical appliances that needed getting rid of and when I rang Cleansing I discovered changes to the rules. Shame that this information wasn’t made public in the same way that Council Tax increases and the like are made.

http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.1887 reads in part:

Each household is entitled to 4 free visits within a 12 month period, dependent on the type of items and the number of items being collected. Any visits above the 4 per household limit within a rolling 12 month period will be deemed chargeable. The number of items being collected per visit will be reduced to an average of 4 or 5 items per visit, to ensure that the service is freely available within a specified time period. Any items above this number may be collected at a charge. contact 01254 585921 for further details. Not all items are removed free of charge.

Each household is entitled to 4 free collections a year, consisting of 4 to 5 large items or up to 10 small items per visit, once all free collections have been used there is then a minimum charge of £25 per visit you are entitled to the same amounts of items but at a cost. Also if you require additional items moved on one of the free collections there is additional charge again this starts from £25 up to £115 depending on the quantities of items, for futher information please contact Bdirect on 585921.

[AccyJay]

So from this, are we to deduct that Blackburn with Darwen Council don't mind fly-tipping?

[jambutty]

I shouldn’t think so but it will certainly encourage some people to chance their arm.

[panther]

typical council, trying to get cash...again, well expect to see settees...etc.. dumped everywhere!!
wonder if hyndburn will follow suit!!, im begining to wonder WHY i pay my council tax!?

if i have bulky items to move I usually shove em in the car and take em to whinney hill and do it myself, but most people dont have cars

[Ianto.W.]

We had a cardboard problem with some long flatpack boxes, having put them carefully out alongside the normal collection bins etc under 2 bricks, it did not go. Phone call HBC waste collection, they must be tied with string, not placed under bricks, so they had been, why not take the stuff and then tell us that

[Tin Monkey]

So you can have up to 20 items (4 visits x 5 items) per year for free, then you have to pay for any additional? Seems fair enough to me.
This limit has been in place for a good while with the council. I had an old oven and hob removed about this time last year and I noticed that the limit was in place then.

Surely the majority of families wouldn't overstretch the limit would they? In the 6 years I've lived within the Borough, I've used this service 3 times, for the removal of large items (sofas, etc) and I consider myself an average consumer.

[mothernature]

Originally Posted by Tin Monkey

So you can have up to 20 items (4 visits x 5 items) per year for free, then you have to pay for any additional? Seems fair enough to me.
This limit has been in place for a good while with the council. I had an old oven and hob removed about this time last year and I noticed that the limit was in place then.

Surely the majority of families wouldn't overstretch the limit would they? In the 6 years I've lived within the Borough, I've used this service 3 times, for the removal of large items (sofas, etc) and I consider myself an average consumer.

That's all well and good if you are already settled where you are, but if you have just moved then obviously you will have things to dispose of once you have unpacked/redecorated/removed previous family's rubbish. The council will not give you any leeway on that and will still only take 5 items. It took 4 consecutive weeks for the council to remove rubbish when I moved and I still had to dispose of a lot of it myself.

[flashy]

jambutty, BwD has been like that for a couple of years now, they are a waste of space, i always end up taking mine to the tip in the landrover if it will fit in, they made me laugh last year when i called them to take a carpet away, they said i had to cut the carpet into bits and put it in bin bags....have you ever tried cutting a thick carpet up? it took little old me ages....arses


its things like this that make people fly tip

[Tin Monkey]

Originally Posted by mothernature

That's all well and good if you are already settled where you are, but if you have just moved then obviously you will have things to dispose of once you have unpacked/redecorated/removed previous family's rubbish.

As I said, the majority of families/households would not exceed the allowance. People moving are a minority group.

[jambutty]

Originally Posted by Tin Monkey

As I said, the majority of families/households would not exceed the allowance. People moving are a minority group.

Well seeing as we pander to minority groups on other issues, this issue should be the same.

[Tealeaf]

Tin Monkey is right. Anyone moving into a new house should budget for the commercial removal of excess packaging. In fact, most decent removal companies will include that in their service.

Which takes us back to the core question - why should I, along with the majority of decent ratepayers, have to bear the cost of those unsocial idiots who are constantly abusing the local refuse service in removing their old junk? These people are almost as bad as these women who fill their wheelie bins with unwanted junk food, attracting rats and vermin from everywhere, and who then have the audacity to complain about the council only emptying the bins once a fortnight. When I think of all the poor, starving African babies and then of all the food rotting away in the wheelies of Accy and Districts, I really want to weep.