Gloucester City Council is grappling with a severe funding crisis that risks leaving streets “blighted by piles of rubbish awaiting collection.” The council urgently seeks a Government bailout loan ranging from £12.5 million to £17.5 million to avert worsening the situation.
As part of a recovery plan, the council intends to make savings and boost income. However, Labour councillors have expressed concerns that this could prompt a review of Ubico’s contract—the company responsible for rubbish and recycling collections, as well as street cleaning and grounds maintenance.
At a special meeting on December 18, Liberal Democrat council leaders reassured the public there are no plans to end the current fortnightly rubbish collections or reduce recycling services. Instead, they aim to explore possible “efficiencies” within the Ubico contract.
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Deputy Labour group leader Karen James (Kingsway) voiced her worries regarding the council’s dire financial state and its impact on frontline services. She stressed the importance of maintaining fortnightly bin collections, highlighting that larger households already find managing two weeks’ worth of waste challenging. Overflowing bins on collection days are a common sight in areas like Kingsway, and some terraced streets rely on rubbish bags instead of wheelie bins.
James emphasized the urgency of preserving recycling collections, calling them “sacrosanct” in the fight against the climate crisis. She argued that moving recycling collections to a fortnightly schedule would overwhelm many households with waste.
She also cautioned that any reduction in street cleaning services, which Ubico also provides, would worsen the rubbish problem, especially if combined with reduced bin collections.
In response, Council leader Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton) confirmed that while cuts to non-statutory services are on the table, the fortnightly rubbish collections will remain intact. “We will not be getting rid of the fortnightly collection,” he assured. “We are not looking at that and we don’t want to downgrade the recycling. That is an income for us. There are no plans for that.”
Hilton added that the review will consider broader efficiencies beyond refuse collection, aiming to balance service quality and financial sustainability.
The council expects to hear by February whether their application for exceptional fund support will be approved.