Image may contain: Housing, Urban, Town, High Rise, City, Building, Apartment Building

New ‘Flat Tax’ on recycling could cause a rent hike for Manchester students

It’s a bit of a rubbish deal


Students living in flats in Manchester will be hit with a new Flat Tax in a bid to force higher rates of recycling.

Image may contain: Vehicle, Truck, Transportation, Trailer Truck, Rain Barrel, Barrel, Vase, Pottery, Potted Plant, Plant, Jar, Flora

Labour plan to increase recycling rates by dramatically reducing the amount of general waste taken from blocks of flats.

But landlords have already indicated that they will have to pay for extra waste collection and will pass this fee on to tenants regardless of whether they recycle, either by increasing their monthly rent or as an additional charge, and there will be no reimbursement from the council.

This follows the council's decision to spend £2.3m of public money on new smaller bins in an attempt to increase recycling rates in the city just two years ago. Instead, fly-tipping and illegal dumping increased and recycling rates stalled.

Rubbish deal for students

Launching their effort to halt the Flat Tax, Lib Dem Spokesperson Greg Stanton, said: " We absolutely support plans to increase recycling but Labour's Flat Tax will hit hard-working families, students and young people the hardest – it just doesn't make any sense.

"We should be thinking of long-term plans to seriously increase recycling rates in the city rather than just slapping a Flat Tax on those already struggling.

"If you agree with us and want to scrap Labour's Flat Tax, please sign our petition now at www.johnleech.org.uk/flattax"

Labour were contacted for a comment.