Conservative Cabinet Members voted on 12 December to introduce a £49 charge for green waste collections. The decision comes just weeks after opposition councillors questioned why green waste collections had not been included in the Councils proposed changes to food and rubbish collections.
It also comes just weeks after the Council’s 2024 Waste & Recycling Survey revealed that 60% of respondents said they were opposed to the council charging for green waste collections.
When questioned in the 14 November Cabinet meeting, Cllr Ken Hawkins, Conservative Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, denied in the that there were any plans to make changes to green waste collections, saying: "There is no changes to the green waste collection service" [sic].
Councillor Ade Adeyemo, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Solihull Council, said:
“Opposition Councillors are seriously concerned that the Conservatives have chosen to bypass the usual scrutiny process. By taking this decision straight to cabinet, where the opposition does not get a vote, Solihull’s Conservatives have avoided proper scrutiny, riding roughshod over residents wishes.
“When questioned by opposition Councillors in October and November about green waste collections, the message from the Conservatives was clear – nothing to see here… there would be no changes.
“Opposition Councillors and the public feel that they have been gaslighted by this Conservative-led administration – a crude attempt to bypass council scrutiny and force through in Cabinet what is bound to be a very unpopular decision.
“We all appreciate that Council finances are under pressure, but we still expect our decision makers to do the right thing and not bypass debate and scrutiny whenever they want to avoid uncomfortable questions or suppress debate. That is not open and transparent democracy.
“That’s why over 1,000 local residents have signed the Liberal Democrats’ petition in less than 12 hours. We are asking local residents to make their feelings known by signing our Petition Against the Green Waste Collection Charge.
“We are demanding better for the residents of Solihull”.
Solihull and Meriden Liberal Democrats represent Liberal Democrat Members, Volunteers, Campaigners, Councillors and Candidates within the Local Authority area of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council.
The Local Authority area straddles three separate parliamentary constituencies - the Solihull West and Shirley constituency, the Meriden and Solihull East constituency and the two Solihull wards in the Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North constituency.
Liberal Democrats in Solihull and Meriden have a long record of action for the community, fighting hard for local residents on issues that are important to local residents.
