Wakefield Council to hire more binmen and put on extra rounds in response to rising population

The council says it plans to hire four new refuse collectors and two drivers.

The local council has revealed plans to buy two new bin lorries and employ six extra members of staff, including two drivers.

A report published earlier this year revealed that the number of people living in the whole of the Wakefield district is set to pass the 350,000 mark, following the biggest annual population rise since the 1990s.

The increase has been attributed to prolific housebuilding in the area in recent years, with a further 21,000 new homes expected to put up by 2036.

Senior councillors will be asked to approve a £330,000 spend on two new refuse vehicles at a meeting next week.

The council's Cabinet member for climate change and green spaces, Jack Hemingway, said: “In order to respond to housing growth now and in the future, it is vital that we purchase these two new vehicles to meet our obligations to provide a waste collection service."

The council said it is also looking at trialling electric bin lorries at some point in the future, in the interests of reducing its carbon footprint.

Local Democracy Reporting Service