Boy George, Kate Moss and David Walliams amongst residents in London neighbourhood hit with reduced bin collections ‘targeting’ mega-rich ‘celebs’
Stars in the exclusive neighbourhoods in London slammed the council for targeting the "liberal elite"
TV stars and footballers in one of London’s swankiest neighbourhoods are going to have to put a lid on it – after a Labour run council announced it was cutting rubbish collections.
Residents of leafy Highgate, Hampstead and Primrose Hill in north London include Jonathan Ross, Boy George, Kate Moss and David Walliams.
Arsenal stars Olivier Giroud and former Gunner Thierry Henry also live in the north London enclave but they are having to put up with twice a month rubbish collections while nearby council estates will still have weekly ones.
The ”bin wars” have been sparkled by Camden Council who hope to save £5 million a year and encourage more recycling in the ‘posher areas’ where homes cost an average £2 million.
Fashion designer and sculptor Nicole Farhi, who shares her Hampstead home with her left wing playwright husband Sir David Hare, said the move to a fortnightly rubbish collection was ”ridiculous” and that more expensive areas were being penalised.
She said: ”It’s totally ridiculous we are very angry about this. Where are we going to store our rubbish, do we have to pay for a skip ?
”There will be rats and foxes. Because we have a big house we already pay more council tax and should get the services other parts of the borough get.
”They should discount our council tax for this but that won’t happen. We will not stand for this.”
Shirley Valentine actor Tom Conti said: ”It’s horrifying the council wastes so much money then doesn’t collect the rubbish. We should all deduct some of our council tax, it’s outrageous.
”It’s a basic service and it will mean dirtier streets. I don’t know whether they are targeting richer neighbourhoods on purpose but it wouldn’t surprise me.”
Local Tory councillor Jonny Bucknell said:”This is clearly a targeted attack on the perceived wealth in the likes of Primrose Hill and Hampstead.
”It seems like an attack on the liberal elite of actors, artists and celebrities who live in the area. It’s no coincidence and it is not acceptable. It’s created a bin war.”
On its website Camden Council said the changes would be introduced from April and added: ”Fortnightly rubbish collections are now provided by 76% of local authorities in the UK, including highly urban areas.
”They are one of a number of proposed solutions that will deliver what the Council needs from this service, within the budget available.
”Incentivising recycling is part of this strategy, and evidence from across the UK shows that we can encourage residents to recycle more by redesigning the way we collect recycling and rubbish.”
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