Delays surrounding three-weekly recycling collections and new bin charges across Tameside have cost the town hall more than £300,000.

Under proposals first revealed in the budget in February, the current fortnightly collection of two of residents’ wheelie bins would change to every three weeks to save the local authority around £396k a year.

It will cover blue and black bins, which contain paper and cardboard and glass and cans respectively.

But it will not apply to non recyclable waste in green bins or food and garden waste in brown bins.

Additionally a charge for replacing recycling bins of £25.63 per bin has also been proposed to tackle ‘abuse’ of the waste system.

A trial of three weekly collections has been piloted in Ridge Hill in Stalybridge, Hyde Central and Haughton Green in Denton across three months, and finished in October.

However a report to the executive cabinet has revealed that a ‘delay’ to expand the new collection schedule and implement replacement bin charges will cost the town hall £312k.

Officers state: “There has been a delay in the implementation of three weekly bin collections and charging for replacement bins.

“Consultation is due to end in October, following this appropriate governance will be sought for a go live of January 2022.”

The shortfall is being ‘partially offset’ by a contribution of £70k from the Waste Levy Reserve for 2021/22.

Bosses say the new charge for replacement bins will tackle the ‘unsightly and hazardous’ problems of them being abandoned across the borough  and people ordering recycling bins and then filling them with general waste.

It is proposing to charge £25.63 for an individual bin of any colour, or £102.52 for a full set of bins.

The council says that introducing this charge will save the authority £190k a year, while changing to three-weekly collections for blue and black bins will save £396k annually.

Food caddies would also no longer be free, and would cost £3 for a seven litre bag and £5 for a 23 litre caddy.

Tameside council says it will analyse the feedback of a consultation on the changes and looking at the data from the trials before making a decision on the frequency of residents’ collections.

“A report is due to go to the executive cabinet before Christmas but there are no plans to implement any changes until the new year,” a spokesperson said.

“We, like every other council in the country, are under enormous pressure to make financial savings while also delivering services that are valued the most by residents and in particular supporting and protecting vulnerable children and adults.

“The changes in policies proposed could make a huge difference for relatively little pain but we want it to be workable and will be reviewing all feedback to help ensure any next steps will positively shape a sustainable and effective service for the future.”

Read more from the Tameside Reporter

Click here for more of the latest news

Click here to read the latest edition of the paper online

Click here to find out where you can pick up a copy of the paper