Controversial bin collection systems are costing Basildon Council more than £1 million in additional costs, with additional crews, fuel and agency staff contributing to the increase bill, it has been revealed.

Basildon Council has revealed the additional cost of £1.2million from the waste collection changes brought in by the previous Tory administration, which sparked anger from residents and a petition.

The overspend, which includes the hiring of four additional waste collection crews at a staggering £600,000, an extra £200,000 in fuel costs, and £400,000 in agency staff, has put "unnecessary financial" strain on the council's budget, according to the council leader. 

The council's books also show it was overspending by £300,000 on housing "disrepair" claims due to what the Labour party calls "the previous administration's failure to properly maintain" its council homes. Labour, which took over control of the council after the election in May, also says "the council's failure to prioritise repairs and manage the contract with Morgan Sindall effectively has resulted in further financial burdens on the community."

It comes after the Tories brought in changes including a fortnightly recycling scheme that requires people to separate their recycling themselves. The existing system sparked fury across the borough including a petition signed by 2,606 people who were frustrated with the changes. At the time the Tory lead administration insisted the changes were introduced in a bid to improve poor recycling rates across the borough.

Gavin Callaghan, Labour leader of the council, added, "The mishandling of the waste service reform was just the tip of the iceberg. The waste changes have been a disaster on Basildon's streets and on the balance sheet. The previous administration's inability to fill vacant food and beverage units at the beleaguered cinema has also cost taxpayers lost projected revenue. These compounded failures have left Basildon in a precarious financial situation, which we are now working diligently to fix. 

"The new administration is taking immediate action to rectify these issues. This includes reforming the waste service to return to a simpler and more cost-effective weekly collection system. The council is also addressing the regeneration of Basildon town centre and tackling the soaring costs of temporary accommodation, which are currently crippling the council's budget.

 "The people of Basildon deserve better. We are committed to fixing the mess we inherited and ensuring that our community receives the quality services it deserves, without the burden of unnecessary costs."