NEWS RELEASE : City Lib Dems challenge council over Garden Tax
by Ian Yuill on 15 April, 2019
Aberdeen’s Liberal Democrat councillors have stepped up their campaign against the introduction of a Garden Tax – a charge for emptying garden waste from residents’ brown wheelie bins – by challenging the council to answer 23 separate questions about the new tax.
Liberal Democrat Group Leader
Ian Yuill said, “The Garden Tax penalises people who want to do their bit for
the environment by recycling their garden waste.
“Like many residents, we want
answers to questions about how the unpopular and unwanted Conservative / SNP /
Labour Garden Tax will; operate. We also want answers to questions about the
environmental impact of the Garden Tax and information about the costs of
introducing and administering the Garden Tax.”
Amongst the 23 questions
asked by Ian Yuill and the Liberal Democrats in an e-mail to the council’s
Chief Executive are:
Has the council
estimated the environmental impact of introducing the Garden Tax and, if so,
what is it? If not, why not?
Given that this
Garden Tax is almost certain to lead to more garden and green waste being
placed in black bins, has the council estimated the additional cost of that
(including the additional Landfill Tax that would have to be paid) and, if so,
what is that estimated cost? If not, why not?
Currently many
residents use their brown bins to dispose of leaves from council-owned trees
which fall on the pavement outside their homes. Will the council require these
community-spirited residents to pay the Garden Tax?
If the council
fails to empty a brown bin for any reason on a regular collection day will a
householder who has paid the Garden Tax be entitled to a refund and, if so, how
will that be administered and what will be the cost of that? If it is not
proposed to refund people when a collection is missed, why not?
If a resident’s
brown bin with a “charge paid” sticker attached is lost or stolen will
that resident have to pay an additional Garden Tax to obtain a label to affix
to their replacement brown bin?
Ian Yuill continued, “There
are currently many more questions than answers about the Garden Tax. People
deserve answers from the council.”
Ian Yuill concluded, “At a
time when the UK and Scottish Governments are encouraging individuals,
businesses and communities to dispose of waste in the most environmentally
friendly way possible, it is absolutely crazy to introduce this Garden Tax
which penalises those who recycle garden and green waste. The Garden Tax will
inevitably lead to lower recycling rates with garden waste either being put
into landfill or incinerated. Sadly, Conservative, SNP, Labour and independent
councillors seem only to be interested in how much money their new Garden Tax
will raise – and not on the impact it will have upon the environment.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Imposition of the Garden Tax (a £30 annual charge for emptying garden waste from residents’ brown wheelie bins) was agreed at Aberdeen City Council’s budget-setting meeting on 5th March 2019. The Conservative, Labour and Independent councillors who control the City Council voted to impose a £30 charge. The SNP also backed imposing the Garden Tax but wished the charge set at £35 annually. Only the Liberal Democrats opposed introducing the Garden Tax.
2. Ian Yuill’s e-mail of 15th April 2019 to Angela Scott states:
Good Afternoon Angela
I have been contacted by a
large number of residents about the Garden Tax – the £30 charge to council is
introducing for uplifting domestic garden waste. As I am sure you will
understand these residents have asked a large number of questions about its
implementation and operation.
I would be very grateful
if you could arrange for me to receive responses to the following questions:
When in
2019/20 will the Garden Tax be introduced?
I
understand from the media that brown bins from households which have paid the
Garden Tax will be distinguished by a label. Will these labels have to be
obtained annually by householders or will a label be valid for repeated years
provided the resident continues to pay the Garden Tax?
What
charge will be made in 2019/20 given that the Garden Tax will not cover a full
year in 2019/20? Alternatively, if the £30 charge is to be levied for only part
of 2019/20 , what charge will be levied for a full twelve months in future
years?
If a resident
decides part-way through a year to opt to have garden and green waste collected
from their home will they have to pay a full year charge or will they receive a
discount on their Garden Tax?
If someone
who pays the Garden Tax moves home during the period to which that charge
applies, does that individual have to pay a further Garden Tax for garden waste
collections from their new home? If so, will they be able to secure a part
refund on the Garden Tax paid for their former home?
If the
council fails to empty a brown bin for any reason on a regular collection day
will a householder who has paid the Garden Tax be entitled to a refund and, if
so, how will that be administered and what will be the cost of that? If it is
not proposed to refund people when a collection is missed, why not?
As
stickers are to be used to distinguish the brown bins of people who have paid
the Garden Tax, what controls will be in place to ensure that people who have
not paid the Garden Tax do not “acquire” someone else’s “charge paid”
sticker or brown bin with its “charge paid” sticker attached?
If a
resident’s brown bin with a “charge paid” sticker attached is lost or
stolen will that resident have to pay an additional Garden Tax to obtain a
label to affix to their replacement brown bin?
If a
resident has more than one brown bin, is the Garden Tax levied per bin or per
household?
Can
neighbours share a brown bin and pay one Garden Tax?
What
measures does the council suggest that residents who have paid the Garden Tax
take to ensure that residents who have not paid the Garden Tax do not use their
brown bins?
Given that
this Garden Tax is almost certain to lead to more garden and green waste being
placed in black bins, has the council estimated the additional cost of that
(including the additional Landfill Tax that would have to be paid) and, if so,
what is that estimated cost? If not, why not?
Has the
council estimated the environmental impact of introducing the Garden Tax and,
if so, what is it? If not, why not?
How will
council staff determine whether material in a brown bin from a household which
has not paid the Garden Tax is garden waste or food waste? A rotten apple, the
outer leaves of a lettuce and many other things could be either garden waste or
food waste.
Has any consideration
been given to whether distinguishing labelled and unlabelled brown bin and
checking the contents of unlabelled brown bins from households which have not
paid the Garden Tax will impact on the efficiency of brown bin collection and,
if so, what was the result of that? If not, why not?
Given the
almost-certain negative impact the Garden Tax will have on recycling levels,
does the council intend to offer households composters at a discounted cost to
encourage home composting?
Currently
many residents use their brown bins to dispose of leaves from council-owned
trees which fall on the pavement outside their homes. Will the council require
these community-spirited residents to pay the Garden Tax?
What is
the projected full-year annual cost of administering the Garden Tax /
charge?
What is
the projected full-year gross annual income from the Garden Tax / charge?
What level
of confidence do officers have that the projected income targets from the
Garden Tax will be achieved?
What
one-off set up costs will be incurred in introducing the Garden Tax / charge?
What is
the projected full-year cost (excluding the cost of administering the £30
Garden Tax / charge) of collecting residential brown bins containing garden and
other green waste in Aberdeen?
What is
the projected full-year cost of collecting residential brown bins containing
only food waste in Aberdeen?
I look forward to
receiving responses to my questions.
My back garden looks on to the Duthie Park. In the Autumn I diligently collect all the leaves that are blown in to my front and back garden and fill the brown bin quite a few times. Therefore as an eighty year old I feel agrieved at the proposed tax. It certainly does not encourage us to be careful with our recycling.
Dear Sir I have tried unsuccessfully to fill in form re payment of £30 for Brown Bin collection as I received an E mail : other members of my family have tried ; can you help please
My address is 210 Countesswells Road AB15 7RE
Would appreciate your help;;
Thank you
J Webster
My back garden looks on to the Duthie Park. In the Autumn I diligently collect all the leaves that are blown in to my front and back garden and fill the brown bin quite a few times. Therefore as an eighty year old I feel agrieved at the proposed tax. It certainly does not encourage us to be careful with our recycling.
Dear Sir I have tried unsuccessfully to fill in form re payment of £30 for Brown Bin collection as I received an E mail : other members of my family have tried ; can you help please
My address is 210 Countesswells Road AB15 7RE
Would appreciate your help;;
Thank you
J Webster
I have emailed you.