New bin tax bombshell

Five pilot schemes are being rolled out across the country which could slap up to £1,000 a year on every family that fails to recycle enough.

Labour yesterday insisted it would not be “intimidated” by critics into scrapping the schemes.

But after the Prime Minister’s meltdown at the local elections his aides indicated he was ready to axe bin taxes to win back middle-class voters, whose “pain” he felt at the soaring cost of living. One source said: “Punitive rises in council taxes are not what we need.”

*** SEE OUR NEW COST OF LIVING INDEX ***

*** SEE THE BEST TIPS TO DEAL WITH INFLATION ***

*** NEED CREDIT ADVICE TO BEAT THE BIG CRUNCH? ***

Yesterday Shadow Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles said Labour spin doctors had misled the public to distract from Mr Brown’s election woes.

“Like zombies from a bad B-movie, bin taxes are a policy that will not die,” he said.

“Bin taxes are completely discredited but Labour ministers are arrogantly pushing ahead and ignoring the public.

“I fear this latest round of stealth taxation will push up the cost of living to breaking point – making it even harder for families who are now struggling to make ends meet under Labour.” He said Mr Brown had promised three times last year to dump bin taxes – only for the Government to continue with its plans.

Ministers have signalled the pilot schemes will “help us with our decision about roll-out” and allow local authorities to “set up their own schemes in due course”.

Opponents say three in five homes would be hit by bin charges. 

The schemes are expected to offer a council tax rebate to households that recycle more but slap charges on those that do not do enough.

No figures have yet been published but the taxes are expected to cost families as much as £1,000 a year, with charges based on the weight of rubbish thrown away instead of recycled. 

Many will also have to pay extra fees for “official” bin bags.

But critics say that such schemes will penalise large families and lead to an increase in fly-tipping and backyard burning.

Under EU laws Britain must dramatically reduce the amount of rubbish buried in landfill sites or face heavy fines which the Government would pass on to local councils. 

Doretta Cocks, of the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collection, said: “It makes you wonder who is in charge.

“I believe these bin taxes are inevitable. It will all depend on how the pilot schemes go. 

“If residents really do object then they might give enough of a signal to make the Government give up. 

“But bin taxes should be scrapped. The collection of refuse is a public health issue. Bin taxes will penalise larger families and people will find a way round them – they will burn their rubbish, put it in neighbours’ bins and fly-tip.”

Mark Wallace, campaign director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said the Government would be charging hard-pressed families twice for removing their rubbish by imposing extra costs on top of council tax.

“The Government seems hell-bent on making families who are already faced with soaring council taxes pay through the nose for services they used to get as part of the council tax deal.

“These bin taxes will simply increase the suffering of households around the country and drive up the amount of fly-tipping. They are effectively charging us twice.”

The determination of the Department for Communities and Local Government to press ahead with pay-as-you throw charges was revealed yesterday in its response to a highly critical report by a Commons select committee.

In its response to the select committee the DCLG and the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs said the pilot schemes would not be withdrawn and would be run “before a decision is made to roll-out the scheme”. 

They added: “The Government would not be running pilots if it did not think that the policy could have an important impact on reducing the amount of waste which goes to landfill.” 

The DCLG said: “Our reason for proceeding on a pilot basis initially is to collect high-quality evidence. It’s not about retreating.”