The Residents' Group has decided to take up the issue of household waste collection. This now takes place on a fortnightly basis. The Residents' Group wants to restore the weekly collection which we used to have.

This follows many complaints made on the doorstep about the inadequacy of the current fortnightly collection for families with children. Further, bins smell more in Summer if they are not emptied until after a fortnight - even if refuse is bagged before it is put in the bin.  

We are concerned about the environment, but feel that the primary purpose of district councils is public health, and are determined that action to save the planet should not prejudice public health.

  The background is that, soon after he was elected in 2003, Cllr. Andrews found that a brown bin pilot scheme had been extended from Norton to Malton. He was not asked about this before it happened, but found out from the Town Council. He had a meeting with Council officials, which lasted several hours. At the meeting he tried to persuade the officers to proceed more slowly with the introduction of the brown bin scheme, as there is a ratchet effect: the more recycling the Council does, the more the Government makes it do. Cllr. Andrews was accused of wasting the officers' time.

There was a survey in 2003/2004, which suggested the public supported the twice weekly collection scheme, and so the Residents' Group went along with it. However, recent comments, partricularly in view of the warm dry April weather, would suggest that the fortnightly collection is becoming a matter of serious concern.  

We support re-cycling, provided that our household rubbish is collected weekly and not once every fortnight.