Three-weekly black bin collections will progress, as council challenge defeated

Conservative councillors signed a joint call-in to oppose the authority's new policy to empty black waste bins every three weeks from next year

Nadia Lincoln Local Democracy Reporter | Wednesday 27th May 2026 12:23pm

West Northants Council (WNC) will push ahead with its proposals to move black bin collections to every three weeks, after a fiery meeting that called the decision into question and allegations of “hypocrisy”.

At the start of May, the Reform UK cabinet agreed the “1, 2, 3+” system, which is already in place in the Daventry area, should be introduced to homes in Northampton and South Northants from spring 2027.

This will see food waste collections every week, fortnightly recycling collections, and general waste wheeled bins being picked up every three weeks. Households with communal bins and terraced properties that use black sacks will still have collections on a weekly basis.

Councillors gathered at a scrutiny meeting last night (Tuesday, May 26) after opposition members submitted a bid to reverse the collection frequency changes, raising concerns that the system would bring increased fly-tipping and vermin in urban areas and that the public hadn’t been consulted properly.

Leading the call-in, the Conservative group leader, Cllr Daniel Lister, accused the administration of bypassing public consultation in its decision.

The officer’s report references a 2023 public consultation, which took place to inform the development of the resources and waste strategy. Feedback showed that over two-thirds (67 per cent) of people agreed that all households across WNC should have their waste collected in the same way, however almost two-thirds (65 per cent) said they were against changing collections to every three weeks.

It added that significant research on collection frequency has since been conducted, which supports the “1, 2, 3+” model and that the outcome “is unlikely to change” as a result of further consultation.

Cllr Lister told the committee meeting: “The administration talks a great deal about listening to residents.

“A cabinet report that tells residents their views are unlikely to change the outcome, before their views have even been sought, is not a report that meets the standards this council sets for itself.

“Every community losing a fortnightly collection deserves proper consultation and a proper evidence base before that change is imposed on them. Residents in Northampton and South Northamptonshire have had neither.”

Northampton resident James Hill, who started a petition against the changes with more than 2,000 signatures, also raised concerns that waste being left in bins for weeks could leave foul odours and attract rats, creating a “genuine public health risk”.

Keith Holland-Delamere (Labour, Blackthorn and Rectory Farm) also expressed concern about the implementation of the new service and the potential for streets still on black sack collections to end up as a hotspot for extra waste from three-weekly black bin properties on collection days.

WNC’s assistant director for waste, Fiona Unett, told members that the main benefits of the collection changes would be ensuring “fairness” across all West Northants households, as well as increased recycling performance and service efficiencies.

Addressing the previous speakers, she listed a number of other urban local authorities across the UK, such as Blackpool, Rochdale and Wigan, that have the same three week collection schedule to “give some assurance” that it will also work in Northampton. She also told members that a consultation should not be seen as the same as asking residents to vote on proposals.

“It would’ve been disingenuous to consult and then appear not to listen to residents’ views,” she added.

Allegations of ‘hypocrisy’

A spat broke out between the Conservative group, who jointly signed the call-in, and Reform councillors who accused them of “selective amnesia” and “hypocrisy” for previously introducing the “1, 2, 3+” system in Daventry.

The former administration’s resources and waste strategy was also called into question, as it states within the document that WNC will consider providing smaller bins or collecting residual bins less frequently and sets an overall goal of providing a harmonised waste service.

Cabinet member for recycling and waste, Cllr Nigel Stansfield, said: “It got brought in by a Conservative administration in Daventry, it’s obviously worked, it’s been successful.

“Wherever their property is, [residents] should get the same service. For me, that is harmonisation. Doing this, going to three-weekly, that’s what this is about.”

However, he was interrupted by Cllr Fiona Cole (Conservative, Hackleton and Roade) and called out for being “dismissive and insulting” in his response to councillors’ concerns after referring to Cllr Holland-Delamere as “one of the people in this room who speaks sense”.

Labour group leader Cllr Sally Keeble added: “The point of these meetings is to really get under the skin of these decisions and sometimes that can involve some tough questioning.

“We want the information out of yourselves and I think it’s really not helpful, and it’s obviously caused some agitation, when it actually becomes a political to-and-fro, because actually this is about what’s going to work best.”

Cllr Lister said the council’s resources and waste strategy, which was approved in 2023, explicitly stated that significant changes to services should have further consultation. He made a proposal that the decision should be referred back to the cabinet to seek more clarity and to consult with the public.

This proposal failed, with one member voting in favour, four against and two abstentions. The two Conservative members on the panel were not permitted to vote due to a rule which states that any councillor who has signed the call-in cannot vote on the matter.

Ultimately, the committee agreed to take no further action.

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