BARNSLEY Council bosses have agreed to scrap the £31 charge for replacing recycling bins after signing off on a £2.3m investment into modernising waste services.

The decision was made by the council’s ruling cabinet members on Wednesday, as they discussed a report which sets out what is being done to streamline the service as a knock-on impact of January’s snow which resulted in more than 100,000 bins being missed.

A total of £1.8m will be used to bring in additional resources to ensure that collections are consistent which will support the council’s waste safety and quality programme.

A further £500,000 was also signed off at the meeting which will allow residents to request new or replacement blue and brown bins which currently cost £31 for free.

It’s hoped the new proposals will remove the financial barriers to recycling that many residents are facing.

This will help increase recycling rates and also the income the council receives from recycling, including financial incentives from the government.

It will also help residents save money when they need to replace their brown or blue bins, or upgrade them to the larger size bins.

It’s hoped the scheme will support up to 20,000 households in the town.

Council leaders said the combined investments will help deliver a fairer, safer, and more efficient waste service for residents.

Coun James Higginbottom, cabinet spokesperson for environment and transport, said: “We know it’s frustrating for residents when their bin collections are disrupted, and this proposed investment recognises that we can’t return to the level of disruption we saw earlier this year.

“We also need to remain absolutely focused and committed to health and safety. It’s absolutely heart breaking that elsewhere in the country people have lost their lives working in waste and recycling. We won’t be complacent or risk the welfare of our employees or the public.

“I’m delighted to support this investment which will help make sure our staff remain safe at work while also making sure residents receive the waste collection service they expect and deserve.”

Coun Kevin Osborne, the cabinet support member for environment and transport, echoed those views.

He added: “The service wholeheartedly acknowledges that the disruption to collections and inconvenience to residents and members throughout the year has been significant and does fall short of the quality of service that we endeavour to deliver.

“First because of the severe weather in January, and latterly, as a result of the changes to services we have been making, we have experienced ongoing disruption to scheduled collections.

“I am pleased to report to cabinet that over 95 per cent of collections are now being made on the scheduled day, notwithstanding the daily operational challenges that every waste services face, such as blocked access by parked cars, vehicle breakdowns and staff availability.

“The challenge now is how to maintain our service levels and safety standards.”