Sorry but we wouldn't be happy if the redeployed binmen or fire crews or teachers elsewhere. Tips must be essential or we wouldn't have them.
By closing them fly tipping had gone up massively locally as has bonfires at home. At least once day someone posts on local fb page saying 'sorry just having a bonfire to get rid of rubbish".
If they aren't essential then why do we pay for them? Why are they used as an arguement to keep reducing kerbside collections while still increasing council tax bills? They are essential. There is no health arguement for closing them if supermarkets can keep operating. And if the staff (all 2 of them on our local tip) are so desperately needed elsewhere then maybe we should be demanding more for our money in our council tax bills.
It directly impacts on our ability to keep our homes and gardens comfortable and clean and free from smoke and our surrounding local areas free from rubbish accumulations. We are being told to stay home, keep the nhs safe, save lives. Yet one of the most used services for a lot of people (waste disposal) is being seriously impacted.
It doesn't affect me personally other than the burning and the rubbish dumped everywhere. I can fit everything into my normal bins. We have an allotment so garden/green waste goes in the compost bin. But I know it is causing so much additional stress to so many families. For no other reason than they couldn't be arsed to put a bit of thought into it.
And I have seen literally no evidence of council staff being redeployed elsewhere. They are all wfh doing their normal jobs. A refuse manager can't wfh and do their role so should be furloughed. Traffic wardens can't wfh. Park rangers can't wfh (some can still work but lots won't be necessary). Our council is only doing emergency rehousing so loads be wfh but not actually doing much work. Loads of school staff (not teachers) won't be able to wfh.
Loads of local government roles that can't actually work, are wfh. Doing what I have no idea. They should be furloughed and on 80%. Not 100% doing sfa.
There are very few council services still going. There are very few additional services the council can do. They could do tips but are chosing not to. They could still run libraries (on the same principle as supermarkets, returned books dropped in a slot and left for 72 hours) but don't. They could still run their housing lists at normal strength with some adaptions to allow for social distancing but aren't.
It's the private sector and emergency services keeping the country going at the moment and it's wrong that we have allowed our public services to just disappear and no one has questioned if we are getting a reduction in our bills for the reduction of services. I have cancelled private stuff I won't use like Sky Sports and gym membership and club membership. But I can't cancel my council tax bill.
We should be outraged.