Schools must now pay for blue bin collections

Schools must now pay for blue bin collections

25 March 2015

SCHOOLS across the district are to be penalised financially by the new Newry, Mourne and Down Council.

Seven days before the new super council’s formal launch it has emerged that primary and post-primary schools will in future have to pay to have their blue recycling bins emptied.

The fortnightly service was previously free to schools in Down District, but a blue bin levy currently exists on schools in the Newry and Mourne area which Down Council is merging with. In a bid to standardise services across the new super council area, the organisation has decided Down District schools will also have to pay the new fee from next Wednesday.

Schools have various numbers of blue bins which range in size, with a standard 240 litre bin costing £3.25 to empty. This means a school with 10 of these bins faces a monthly charge of £65.

If all the 46 schools across the district put 10 of the 240 litre bins out for collection every fortnight, the annual revenue for the new super council would be in the region of £60,000.

Schools were informed at the start of the month that they will be billed annually or can adopt to pay the bin collection charge monthly or quarterly. They can also cancel the service at any time during the new financial year.

Down Council’s outgoing chairman Billy Walker said he was unaware of plan to impose a charge on schools and plans to raise the issue with the new council’s chief executive Liam Hannaway.

“I was not aware that schools are to be charged and will be seeking an urgent meeting with Mr. Hannaway. The first question I will be asking is why did Down District have to fall in line with Newry and Mourne Council on this issue? Could the charges imposed on schools in Newry and Mourne not have been ped so they would be in line with schools in our district?” he asked.

Councillor Walker said he is concerned that at a time of reduced budgets and many schools struggling to balance the books, they are now faced with additional expense.

The council chairman said one possible scenario that could emerge is that schools will reduce the waste they place in blue bins and put more waste in black bins which they already pay to have collected. Councillor Walker said schools could not be blamed for adopting such a policy.

“In the current economic climate, with the pressures many schools are under, imposing this blue bin charge appears unfair. It’s an issue I want to find out more about, in particular, when the decision was taken and when Down councillors were informed.”

A Newry, Mourne and Down Council spokeswoman confirmed the organisation is introducing a charge to collect blue bins from schools across the district to standardise the service it provides across its area.

She confirmed the new blue bin charge applies to 46 schools across the district but the levy is not imposed on nursery schools who have charitable status and are treated the same as domestic customers.

“Schools will not be charged during holiday periods and school kitchens will not be affected as they were not initially in receipt of blue bins,’ she explained.

The spokeswoman added: “While the council will be happy to work with schools to emphasise the importance of recycling, both from an environmental and an educational perspective, it is for schools to decide how they run their business in terms of what waste is placed in which bin.”