Peterborough residents to be charged nearly £30 to replace stolen bins as council bids to save £160,000

Peterborough residents who lose or have their bins stolen are set to face a charge of nearly £30 to have them replaced as the city council seeks to save tens of thousands of pounds.

The city council currently picks the bill to replace bins that have gone missing or have been broken.

Last year a Government minister said the authority ‘had not grasped the seriousness of financial challenge facing the authority,’ and the council has been trying to balance the books as a result.

A report from Peterborough City Council said: “Currently all lost, stolen and replacement bins are replaced free of charge by the Council which is currently costing circa £160,000 per annum. Since occupiers no longer need to obtain a crime

reference number before requesting replacements for lost or stolen bins, the Council has noted an increase in replacement requests.”

The report said the costs of replacing bins was continuing to rise – and said the authority was being asked to make repeated replacements at some properties in the city.

Property developers will also have to fund the supply of bins to new homes in the city.

Most households in the city have two 240 litre bins – one green and one black. Under the new rules, it will cost £27.72 for a new bin. Lids for the bins will cost £20.37 – the same as a set of wheels.

Households in the city with five or more people living at an address can apply for a larger, 360 litre bin – and unsurprisingly, these will cost more to replace, with a bill of £43.63.

A small food caddy will cost £6.69 to replace, while a large one will cost £9.18.

The costs include assembly and delivery of the new bins, and will be reviewed annually – and the bins would remain property of the council, even after the costs have been paid.

If the decision is not ‘called in’ by councillors, the costs would start from September 29.