Conservative candidate for Sandbach East and Central, Sean Houlston, has formally submitted the findings of a resident survey on Cheshire East Council's proposed three-weekly black bin collections to the council's Corporate Leadership Team, calling on officers to listen to residents before any final decisions are made.
The survey, conducted between March and June 2026, received over 270 responses from residents across Cheshire East and neighbouring communities and found overwhelming opposition to the proposed reduction in black bin collection frequency.
Among the findings:
- 89% said three-weekly black bin collections would not work for their household.
- 95% said it was unacceptable to reduce bin collection frequency following a 4.99% council tax increase.
- 97% expressed concern that the changes could increase fly-tipping.
- 86% did not believe weekly food waste collections would significantly reduce the amount of waste going into their black bin.
The survey also found that concerns were shared across a broad range of political backgrounds, household types and communities, suggesting opposition to the proposals extends beyond party politics.
Sean Houlston said:
"When Cheshire East Council first consulted on these proposals, residents made their concerns clear. My survey shows those concerns have not gone away.
"Residents are worried about overflowing bins, increased fly-tipping, smells, vermin and the impact on families, particularly those with young children or additional needs.
"Most of all, people do not understand why they are being asked to pay more council tax while receiving a reduced service."
Mr Houlston has now written to Cheshire East Council's Corporate Leadership Team, enclosing his report Paying More, Getting Less: The Public Verdict on Three-Weekly Bin Collections, and urging senior officers to carefully consider the findings before progressing any changes.
The report also highlights that many of the concerns raised by residents mirror those identified in Cheshire East Council's own consultation of more than 6,000 residents, including worries about fly-tipping, hygiene, household waste capacity and the impact on larger families.
The report recommends that Cheshire East Council retain fortnightly black bin collections, address resident concerns around hygiene and fly-tipping, and ensure that any council tax increases are matched by maintained or improved services rather than reductions.
