Deputy PM wades into bins row

DEPUTY Prime Minister and Sheffield Hallam MP Nick Clegg has written to Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles to ask him what “support” would be available to Sheffield Council should the authority decide to reverse its decision to scrap weekly bin collections.

The council is currently moving ahead with plans to make black bin collections fortnightly and axe a green waste collection service altogether, to together save around £4m a year.

This comes after the coalition Government said it would be making £250m available to help English councils keep or restore weekly bin collections.

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But Sheffield Council, which is currently trying to find budget savings of £57m in the 2012/13 financial year, says the Government “has yet to commit a penny” towards keeping weekly collections.

Mr Clegg’s letter to Mr Pickles accuses Sheffield Council of making a “rash” decision and adds: “I would be grateful if you advise what central guidance and support would be available to Sheffield City Council and when they might be able to bid for funds from the new weekly collections scheme.”