The head of London’s fire authority has warned that a move to fortnightly bin collections could “cause more fires” in the capital and divert resources from “other life saving work”.
The warning from London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority Chair Brian Coleman comes as official figures show that the number of rubbish fires in London fell to 8,438 between August 2009 and August 2010, down from 9,806 for the same period in 2008/09.
Cllr Coleman warned “there is a real danger that if fortnightly bin collections were introduced it would increase the number of fires which will risk lives and cost the taxpayer dear.”
As London’s local authorities look to cut spending, Cllr Coleman added: “rubbish, refuse and other materials left outside are often maliciously set alight and even now we still attend over 8,000 calls each year. The Brigade wants to cut this number further but will be hampered by a short sighted, short term, quick fix solution that could increase the overall bill to the taxpayer.”
