Bin fines trials approved but residents told it will be "difficult" to get charged

The council is acting because of the £1m a year costs of dealing with contaminated waste, caused by people putting the wrong materials in the wrong recycling bins.

From April, the authority will be carrying out public consultations on proposals to warn offenders, and follow that up with a second warning and home visit, before issuing fines for those who refuse to accept advice.

Two pilot schemes, covering communities not yet identified, will be conducted at the same time.

Council leader Chris Read said around one per cent of council tax went on dealing with waste incorrectly disposed of - money he would rather have to spend on other work.

“The object of the exercise is absolutely not to fine people, but to intervene so people don’t get fined,” he said.

“It will be pretty difficult to get fined.”

The authority is also looking at new powers to take action against those who leave bins out on the street for extended periods after collection.

Again, Cllr Read clarified that the proposal was “not around going and spying on people to see if they have left their bins out on the street”.

Council action would be driven by complaints from residents, he said.

The council’s assistant director for street scene, Sam Barstow, told members of the authority’s ruling cabinet that in some cases bins could have “a genuine impact on people trying to manoeuvre around. It can create genuine challenges.”

Cllr Read said the council would take feedback from the public and said: “It is absolutely not some kind of way of trying to make money.

“It is about where we have significant problems over a long period of time,” he said.

The expectation was that those likely to get attention from the council were people who left bins out on the street permanently.

Cabinet members approved both suggestions, which will now go forward for a vote among all council members.