Food waste to be collected weekly in 2026
New weekly food waste collections will be introduced next year.
Under new rules, all local authorities in the country must have weekly food collections in operation by 1 April, 2026.
The Greater Cambridge Shared Waste service that South Cambridgeshire District and Cambridge City councils share says the roll-out of the new service in 2026 will help to divert more food waste from black bins.
South Cambridgeshire District Council’s cabinet discussed the move on 4 February as it looked at its plans for the next 12 months and longer-term, which also include building a permanent community centre at Northstowe.
The plans were agreed and will now go to the full council meeting on Tuesday, 25 February.
A £5.09 per year increase in council tax for the average band D home was agreed by cabinet members.
If approved at the full council meeting, this would mean the average band D charge for the district council portion would become £175.40 per year.
One major project for the forthcoming year will be the beginning of construction work, in March, of the Northstowe phase one community centre -– named the ‘Unity Centre’ by the local community.
Elsewhere – following the successful introduction of the council’s first public-facing use of artificial intelligence (AI) on its website during the past year – new websites for it, the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning and Greater Cambridge Shared Waste will make it even easier for residents to access services, find information and complete tasks online.
A telephone voice AI assistant will also be introduced – to complement contact centre staff. Cabinet members also backed the council’s proposed new priorities for the next five years.
Liberal Democrat council leader Cllr Bridget Smith said: “Working together, all residents can be equal partners in their communities.
“Our aspirations for the year ahead are all about creating a better district that will benefit everyone who lives, works, learns and plays in our communities. Although South Cambridgeshire is already a wonderful place – we do have challenges. We will continue to work to overcome these to help the district realise its full potential.”
