OPPOSITION councillors are challenging a change to business bin collections in Bath which could effectively cost shops more than £3,000 to close at 5pm.

Bath and North East Somerset Council is launching a year-long pilot to change the time that city centre businesses can put their waste out for the evening business waste collection. In September, it will change from 5pm to 6pm. The Liberal Democrat administration has said it will stop Bath being “blighted by sacks of waste” in the early evening and prevent queues of lorries.

But 93 per cent of businesses who responded to the consultation opposed the plan. The council’s own analysis warns it could cost shops which shut at 5pm £3,089.13 a year in additional wages for someone to stick around for another hour just to put the bins out.

The Guildhall, where Bath and North East Somerset meets.
The Guildhall, where Bath and North East Somerset meets. (John Wimperis)

Now a cross-party group of councillors have signed a call-in of the decision to implement the change. The decision will now come before the council’s climate emergency and sustainability scrutiny panel on July 29, which will vote on whether to support the call-in and ask for the decision to be reconsidered.

Independent group spokesperson Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North) said: “Business is incredibly challenging in today’s climate — particularly for food, hospitality and retail in our city. That’s why it’s vital we challenge any decisions that will negatively impact local traders.

“The Independent Council Group, together with members of the Conservative and Green parties in a cross-party call-in, are committed to supporting our city centre businesses and ensuring their voices are heard.”

Councillors have also warned that the £3,000 estimate may be “significantly underestimated.”

The call-in letter states: “Many local businesses operate seven days a week, and refuse collections occur daily meaning the actual financial impact is likely much higher. In addition, many independent traders close around 4pm during winter months.

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats on Bath and North East Somerset Council defended the plan: “This pilot scheme is being brought in to make the experience for residents and visitors better, which in turn benefits businesses. For too long, early evenings have been blighted by sacks of waste spilling over the pavements, and gulls feasting on whatever they can.”

Out of 1,126 businesses identified, just 87 responded to the consultation — despite the council extending the consultation by another week and “doorstepping” businesses to try to encourage them to respond. The consultation ran from February 20 to April 7. Of the businesses that responded, 43 per cent close at 5pm and a further 33 per cent close at 5.30pm. Seventy-two per cent of them said that the extra cost of paying staff to stay later just to deal with waste was “unfair/unaffordable.”

The councillors who signed the call-in were:

• Colin Blackburn (Westmoreland, Independent Group)

• Shaun Hughes (Midsomer Norton North, Independent Group)

• Alan Hale (Keynsham South, Independent Group)

• June Player (Westmoreland, Independent Group)

• Tim Warren (Midsomer Norton Redfield, Conservative)

• Sarah Evans (Midsomer Norton Redfield, Conservative)

• Joanna Wright (Lambridge, Green)

• Saskia Heijltjes (Lambridge, Green)

• Sam Ross (Clutton and Farmborough, Green)