Cllr James McKay

More rubbish: best thing about wheelie bins is the wheels, great-grandmother tells council

The inside track on Birmingham City Council - Paul Dale's Diary

By:
Published April 24, 2013, in Mr Dale's Diary, Opinion


Just when you thought Birmingham’s wheelie bin debate couldn’t become more surreal, it has.

Recently, cabinet member James McKay claimed that families in Brandwood and Harborne were so desperate to get rid of nasty old plastic rubbish sacks that they were shocked to discover that their properties were unsuitable for wheelie bins.

Some people, who had been ‘red carded’ by the council’s fearsome health and safety police, were even appealing against the decision in the hope that they might after all be allowed to take part in Birmingham’s refuse revolution, Cllr McKay claimed.

Imagine the awful scene as Labour supporters in Harborne sit around the kitchen table for supper.

“We just can’t wait to get our wheelie bins delivered next month. When do you get yours?”

Cue shuffling of feet and contemplating of navels.

“We’ve been refused. Just cannot believe it. We’ll appeal, of course.”

It’s wise to steer away from wheelie bin conversation over supper, I always feel.

And as if that wasn’t enough, the council’s ever inventive media officers have issued a press release entitled: “Why we love our wheelie bins.”

The missive highlights the “positive experiences” of people using bins.

Lifting the lid on Birmingham’s rubbish collection opinion poll row

People love wheelie bins so much they're appealing against being refused one, council claims

By:
Published April 19, 2013, in Politics


rubbishThe battle to capture hearts and minds in Birmingham’s wheelie bin row shows no sign of abating.

A war of surveys is gripping a debate where opposing sides are clearly settling in for the long haul.

Conservative and Liberal Democrat politicians have bombarded city council meetings for months with announcements that they have conducted opinion polls demonstrating almost total rejection of a £29 million scheme to switch rubbish collection from plastic sacks to wheeled bins.

Claims that 80 or even 90 per cent of residents in areas like Perry Barr, Erdington and Edgbaston oppose the bins have been commonplace, although documentary evidence hasn’t been released.

Now the Labour administration has hit back with an authentic survey conducted by respected pollsters Opinion Research Services, based on the results of 3,000 questionnaires.

Unfortunately, the interim survey results don’t quite demonstrate

Continues…

Birmingham seeks to close green agenda ‘credibility gap’

UK's highest carbon output to be halved in 13 years, council claims

By:
Published March 11, 2013, in Politics


smokeBirmingham Council’s Labour-led administration is set to toughen a carbon reduction programme, despite figures showing that the city is struggling to deliver its existing green agenda.

The cabinet will approve recommendations from a Green Commission to change the way that emissions are measured while redoubling efforts to meet an ambitious programme to cut C02 by 60 per cent by 2026 against a 1990 baseline.

Crucially, Birmingham is to switch from monitoring C02 on a per capita basis to calculating total city-wide emissions.

Per capita monitoring is thought to be flawed because it would not take into account the rapid growth in Birmingham households expected between now and 2026.

Population growth, predicted at an additional 150,000 people by 2031, would mean that Birmingham could achieve its 60 per cent per capita reduction target although total emissions would fall by less than 60 per cent, according to the commission.

Cllr James McKay, cabinet member for a green city, who chaired the commission, admitted that

Continues…

Council names the streets for Birmingham wheelie bin revolution

Harborne and Brandwood chosen to host pilot scheme

By:
Published February 6, 2013, in Politics


binsThe two parts of Birmingham that will pilot a wheelie bin refuse collection scheme have been named, and it will come as little surprise that Harborne is one of the wards chosen for the controversial initiative, alongside Brandwood.

Once a rock-solid Tory seat, Harborne has been drifting to Labour over the past three years to such an extent that former council leader Mike Whitby remains the Tories’ sole survivor in this part of the city – and his future is looking decidedly dodgy at the 2014 civic elections.

One of Harborne’s three councilors is James McKay, the Labour cabinet member for a Green, Safe and Smart City, who is in charge of rolling out wheelie bins across Birmingham, finally doing away with the black plastic bag refuse collection system.

The proposal, which relies on £29 million of Government funding, is being fought with a rare amount of fanaticism by most Tory councilors and their Liberal Democrat former coalition partners.

Claims about the unsuitability of Birmingham for wheelie bins – too many hills, too many

Continues…

Everything you wanted to know about wheelie bins (but were afraid to ask)

Council boss answers the big questions: does size really matter?

By:
Published December 28, 2012, in Politics


Did Downton Abbey leave you feeling, well, a little underwhelmed this Christmas?

Were Coronation Street and EastEnders predictably boring?

Fear not. Birmingham City Council has come to the rescue of families wanting something much more exciting from the festive television schedules.

A video about wheelie bins starring green, safe and smart city cabinet member James McKay promises to be cult viewing, although it is probably preferable to go to the pub first.

In a three minute slot, a freshly-scrubbed and suited Cllr McKay makes lots of expressive hand gestures and attempts to answer the big questions about refuse disposal:

  • Does size really matter?
  • How many bins will I receive?
  • Why the black sacks have had their day.

The film appears to be the Labour-led council’s latest attempt to sell a £30 million wheelie bin scheme to sceptical Brummies. Funding for the project is coming from the Government, and the bins will help Birmingham to radically increase its poor recycling rate, according to Cllr McKay.

Liberal Democrat, and some but not all Conservative councillors, claim that wheelie bins will be bad news for disabled people and families living in “unsuitable” houses and flats. The photograph accompany this article was published by Tory city councillor James Bird, and clearly depicts hweelie bins in an unfavourable light.

But Cllr McKay insists there is no need to worry. If you aren’t capable of wheeling a bin, you can stick with black sacks.

The film can be seen at http://birminghamnewsroom.com/2012/12/wheeled-bins-your-questions-answered/

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