Following a campaign from the HWJRA, including support from our local MP Catherine McKinnell and our local councillor Henry Gallagher, we are delighted to report that Newcastle council have confirmed they have no plans to introduce communal bins in High West Jesmond in this financial year and, in all likelihood, next financial year as well.
Below is an e-mail we have received from Catherine McKinnell;
“Following my attendance at last week’s HWJRA public meeting, I had a productive meeting with Christine Herriot and members of her team on Thursday. ….I made very clear during my meeting with the Council last week the strength of opposition to, and concerns about, any roll-out of communal bins in High West Jesmond….the Council have confirmed to me that they now have no current plans to roll out communal bins to any part of Newcastle North, including East Gosforth ward and therefore High West Jesmond. I understand from my meeting last week that this applies to the years 2017/18 and 2018/19 – and, whilst the Council is not in a position to rule out any proposals indefinitely, I will clearly keep a close watching brief on this issue”.
The Dene and South Gosforth ward Liberal Democrats also posted this message yesterday;
“We’ve received confirmation that the communal bin roll-out to High West Jesmond has been halted for this and probably the next financial year. This is great news for the residents who fought the proposal. Our own ballot of residents showed that 95% of households were against the plan. Well done to the High West Jesmond Residents Association for all their hard work campaigning. We will of course keep an eye on the situation as time goes on.”
HWJRA would like to thank both Catherine and Henry for their support, as well as all HWJ residents who wrote to the council or attended meetings to make their feelings known on this issue.