A petition to pause bin collection changes in West Berkshire was firmly booted out of council last night.
A petition to pause changes to bin collections in West Berkshire was rejected by the council last night.
In an unusual display of defiance, the Lib Dems responded to local social media critic Richard Garvie, who presented the petition that aimed to shift black bin collections from a three-week to a two-week schedule.
Garvie claimed to represent around 3,000 signatures from residents, but the council clarified that these signatures were not all linked to the same concern.
During his speech, Garvie accused the council of ignoring residents' needs and called for transparency about waste management support. He questioned, "Why do you refuse to publish the determination process?" and suggested that the council was misleading the public about the distribution of additional bins.
In response, Stuart Gourley, the council's bins executive member, defended their actions, stating that most households are managing well and that support is available for those in need. He confirmed that 585 households had received larger or additional bins.
Councillor Justin Pemberton countered Garvie's claims by highlighting the numerous public consultations held in the past year, stating, "We don’t run this council by opinion poll; we listen to our officers and experts."
Conservative leader Ross Mackinnon remarked on Garvie's approach, calling it a "furious rant," while Joanne Stewart shared concerns from constituents about their experiences with bin requests.
Lib Dem leader Jeff Brooks challenged Garvie's narrative, citing statistics from recent consultations that showed how resident feedback has shaped council decisions. He even invited Garvie for a meeting, which he did not attend.
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
