From 1 April 2012, the City of London Corporation will introduce a “time banding system” for both residential and commercial bagged waste collections across the City. The scheme is designed to clear the City's streets of obstructions and improve hygiene as more tourists visit the City during the Olympic year.
This means that all businesses and residents will be restricted from putting out waste and recycling bags on the public highway and footpaths during certain hours, seven days a week.
The initiative will significantly improve the quality of the street-scene and environment of the City of London for businesses, visitors and residents.
The scheme will result in a reduction in the number of obstructions on the City's heavily used footpaths, increasing safety for residents and improving mobility for wheelchair and pushchair users.
The changes only affect those residents and business that put out bagged and loose waste on the public highway for collection. This does not affect those who use wheelie bins or internal compactors to store and dispose of their waste.
John Tomlinson, Chairman of the City of London Corporation's Port Health and Environmental Services Committee, said:
“This scheme will undoubtedly improve the aesthetics and hygiene of the City's streets. Removing bagged waste during the bandings will reduce the opportunity for loose litter to be added to bags left out ' and less waste on streets means less vermin and pests and a reduction in the associated health hazards.”
The City of London Corporation consulted widely on the scheme. The objective of the consultation was to try to get an indication from both residents and businesses on how the introduction of a time banding scheme would be received, and how easily residents and businesses would be able to comply. As part of the consultation 13,500 City residents and businesses were sent a letter during October & December 2011, asking them about their view before considering implementation of scheme.
