Fancy a free, big wheelie bin?

- Council dish out dozens of free, bigger wheelie bins but only to Milkstone and Deeplish residents
- 140 residents with "larger" families applied, costing taxpayers £1,750 at £12.50 a pop
- Lib Dem leader Andy Kelly makes call for offer to be available for the whole borough

Residents across the Borough with large families could soon be able to increase the size of their brown wheelie bins. That's if leader of the Liberal Democrats, Councillor Andy Kelly, has his way. The councillor for Milnrow and Newhey highlighted the fact that residents only in Milkstone and Deeplish had been offered them so far. He pressed Neil Emmott, the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Environment, on the issue at the last meeting of Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council. Councillor Kelly was concerned after the report referred to an "initiative" and not a "pilot".

It can be revealed that 140 larger brown bins were dished out to houses in Milkstone and Deeplish at the cost to the taxpayer of £12.50 apiece. Residents were offered the larger wheelie bins in exchange for their smaller caddies. Neil Emmott said in his report to the Council: "It was to help them cope with the amount of food waste that larger families are producing."

Andy said: "While I welcome the fact that an initiative has taken place in one part of the Borough, what about everywhere else? I certainly know of large families in my patch of Milnrow and Newhey who would snap the council's hand off. There has been a recent epidemic of fly-tipping in all parts of Rochdale. I'm sure if residents had the chance to upgrade their bins it would help. Neil Emmott stated at the meeting that the council were looking at all options but didn't really have much else to say nor did he state how the council defined a larger family. I am calling for the council to move as soon as possible so that residents across our Borough can enjoy the same options as families in Milkstone and Deeplish.

"It seems pretty simple to me: the council have already run the initiative so the logistics are there. I would suggest that any residents with large families across our Borough get in touch with the Council and ask when they are going to get this option. I don't think that people from outside of Milkstone and Deeplish will be happy if they don't."

In Neil Emmott's Council Report in December he stated: "An initiative to help residents in Milkstone and Deeplish recycle more food waste is underway. Residents are being offered larger wheeled bins in exchange for their smaller caddies to help them cope with the amount of food waste that larger families are producing."

Andy Kelly asked him: "Can I welcome the initiative to help residents in Milkstone and Deeplish with larger families cope with extra food waste and can I ask how much this is costing and what plans you have to roll this out to larger families throughout this Borough?"

Neil Emmott's reply was: "The Council have given out 140 bins so far at £12.50 per wheelie bin at the total cost of £1,750."