The petition of residents of the Garretts Green Ward, Birmingham.
Declares that residents in Garretts Green who reside on top of a grass verge need to have access to a general waste bin; further that Birmingham Council must remove the red tape that is stopping the existence of general waste bins on Lea Hall Road, in the Garretts Green area.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to work with Birmingham Council to take immediate action to ensure that all residents on Lea Hall Road, in the Garretts Green Ward have access to general waste bins, and that these bins are collected by Birmingham City Council.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Liam Byrne, Official Report, 3 June 2025; Vol. 768, c. 279.]
[P003077]
Observations by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mary Creagh):
Local authorities are legally required to deliver waste collection services to households in their area. DEFRA has issued guidance https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ensuring-good-waste-collection-services-for-households for local authorities on factors to consider when delivering household waste collection services to ensure they meet local need and deliver value for money for the taxpayer. The guidance does not mandate what container type should be used.
Local authorities are independent bodies and are accountable to their electorate rather than to Ministers or Government Departments. If citizens have concerns about their local authority, they should try to discuss these with their council in the first instance. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is charged by Parliament with investigating complaints of injustice arising from maladministration by local authorities and is free of charge.