Weekly bin collections expensive claims Wigan Council Leader, as his council reserves hit record £91 Million

Weekly bin collections will cost labour run Wigan council 0.12% of its income

Responding to taxpayers complaints about maggot infestation, smells and other health concerns over the summer, Labour leader of Wigan Council Lord Smith has said a return to weekly bin collections would cost £1 million to reintroduce.

Lord Smith said it would be bad for the environment, a “real waste” of resources and a 'foolish notion', to return to weekly collections demanded by many residents.

Many residents wonder what Lord Smith intends to spend our money on at a time when the council's usable reserves hit a record £91.7 million, up £21 million from last year.

Claims that £1 million is excessive cannot be substantiated when in reality a council the size of Wigan could easily accommodate such a move, given last year its income totalled £836 million.

This is the same Lord Smith who's Labour party agreed to; Councillors expenses of £1.4m, replacing perfectly functioning street light bulbs at a cost of £11m, keeping Manchester airport shares worth £36m and signed a privatisation contract to run Wigan Baths costing £68m .