Changes to our rubbish collection service from 6 November 2017

The following is from an editorial provided by Bath and North East Somerset Council.

What is changing?

Most households across Bath and North East Somerset will be changing to every other week collection for their rubbish from 6 November. We will be providing a 140 litre wheeled bin for the storage and collection of rubbish. We realise that one size does not fit all, so in a small number of cases where a 140 litre wheeled bin is not suitable for your property, or family situation, we may provide a larger bin or a re-useable rubbish bag to contain rubbish for collection.

Recycling collections, including food waste will remain weekly and our emphasis will be on encouraging you to use this weekly service to its full potential.

Over 70% of UK councils including all our neighbours in Bristol, North Somerset, Somerset, Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire, are already running every other week collections for rubbish (in wheeled bins) and weekly recycling collections. They are seeing the benefits including reduced street mess, cost efficiencies and collecting more recycling (instead of rubbish).

Collection days and times may change as we will need to redesign the routes so that they are as efficient as possible.

Look out for your letter in March

From 9-13 March all households will be sent a personalised letter informing them how the changes will affect them. To reduce postage costs, most letters will be included in the envelope with your Council Tax Bill.

This letter will let you know whether we have allocated your property a wheeled bin or re-useable rubbish bag for rubbish collection, and the frequency of your rubbish collection. The letter is for information and no response is needed. If you are concerned that the container we have allocated is not appropriate for your specific property, or if despite recycling all you can, you feel that your household will not manage with the allocated container you can complete an online query form.

We will write separately to residents who

– live in a registered House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO)
– are currently registered for an Assisted Collection (those who require the help of our crews to carry their rubbish and/or recycling to an agreed collection point). You will be asked to complete a form to update your details to re-apply for an assisted collection if you still need help. For some residents wheeled bins will be much easier to manage.

Why are we introducing the changes?

1. To keep our streets cleaner

Containing rubbish in a bin or bag will prevent animals and birds ripping open bags and making a mess which is unpleasant for everyone and costs us to clear up.

2. To recycle more

We have a very comprehensive recycling collection where you can already recycle 17 different types of household waste every week. We know that some residents can recycle more than they are currently doing – about 75% of a household’s waste can be recycled using the current collections, but we still find that over half of an average rubbish bag consists of items that could have been recycled. Our local research shows that if you recycle all you can you will still have space left in your rubbish bin when collected every other week.

The change will help to encourage everyone to use their food recycling collection – only about 50% of households currently use this. About a third of the waste in black sacks currently is food.

3. To save money

Every lorry load of waste costs £1000 to dispose of whilst every lorry load of recycling earns an income of £100, so reducing the amount put out as rubbish is essential.

Find out more

www.bathnes.gov.uk/recycle

Our website is being updated as details are confirmed and more FAQs added so please check back for updates.

Details of new bus service

Following a competitive tender, BANES council have awarded a contract for the bus service to Bathampton to Wessex Bus, starting 5 September 2016. It will run as service 12, every 40 minutes during the daytime on Mondays to Saturdays, to the city centre and on to Oldfield Park and Haycombe Cemetery.

The route between Bathampton and the city centre will be the same as current route 4.

The timetable is published on Traveline.

Information on the number 4 bus service

It has been brought to our attention that some passengers have been informed by their driver that the number 4 bus service is being withdrawn from 1 September.

Our chairman has spoken to Andy Strong, from the Bath & Northeast Somerset Council public transport team, and he has confirmed that the number 4 will no longer run to Bathampton. He went on to say that it will be replaced by a daytime service to the bus station provided by Wessex running every 40 minutes.

He confirmed that pensioner passes will still be accepted, but not First passes. Passengers will instead have to buy the Bath Rider pass if they want to use non Wessex services for their onward journey or Wessex passes.

To avoid confusion about the current service, there will not be any official communication until August, we have asked Mr Strong to provide content for the August Parish newsletter.

Road safety works begin – B3108 Lower Stoke Road

The B3108 Lower Stoke Road at the junction with the A36 will be closed from Monday January 11 – Friday February 5 for essential safety improvement works. This will involve putting in place a protective kerb and barrier along the embankment on the approach to the A36 traffic lights.

Bath & North East Somerset Council’s contractor Skanska will be working through weekends to get the work completed as quickly as possible.

Pedestrians and cyclists will be able to pass safely through the site along a route marked out by barriers. All businesses in the area will be open as usual with access from the Limpley Stoke village end. Shuttle buses will be in operation for public transport routes affected.

Local diversions will be sign-posted, as follows:
The B3108 Lower Stoke to its junction with Winsley Hill; B3108 through Winsley Village into Winsley Road; B3108 on into Bradford on Avon until its junction with A363 Bath Road; follow Bath Road into A363 Sally in the Woods into Bradford Road onto the A46 Batheaston Bypass and the A4 London Road West into Bath onto A4 London Road into A36 Cleveland Place/Bathwick Street into A36 Beckford Road back onto A36 Warminster Road through Claverton Valley.

Regular users of this route are advised to follow the signed diversion route and plan their journeys accordingly. The Council apologises for any inconvenience and disruption that will be caused.

The work has been co-ordinated with Highways England and Wiltshire Council. Signage was put in place before Christmas and the Council has also liaised with Monkton Combe School.

Roadworks from Monday 11th January affecting bus services to Bathampton

The following is a message from Christopher Heward, the Public Transport Assistant for Bath & North East Somerset Council

From Monday 11th January there are barrier works being done by B&NES just off the A36 heading towards Winsley. This has caused disruption to First’s 265 service between Bath and Bradford-on-Avon, and as such affects bus services to Bathampton, Claverton, Limpley Stoke and surrounding areas.

We have been working with Wiltshire Council and the bus companies to come up with a solution, and details of this have been put up on bus stops along the route today (265 to Bathampton notices). I also attach Bradford on Avon Winsley Shuttle January 2016.

We have placed on our website the complete information regarding the impact of these changes, and these can be seen here: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/parking-and-travel/public-transport/buses/latest-news-service-changes.

Residents can contact Traveline for specific travel advice, via the details in the above link.

If you require any more general information, then please do contact me at Christopher_Heward@BATHNES.GOV.UK