A BBC investigation has found that Horsham District Council, run by the Liberal Democrats, will miss the government’s deadline to introduce weekly food waste collections - despite receiving £1,920,612 in government funding.
Under new rules from the Department forEnvironment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), every household in England is supposed to have a weekly food waste collection service by March 2026. However, Horsham Distrcit Council will not meet that target. A government minister said councils have received a “significant uplift” in funding to support the rollout and warning that recycling rates have remained too low for too long (BBC News online, 25 February 2026).
Separately collected food waste can be used to generate electricity, reduce landfill use, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The scheme is also intended to encourage households to waste less food.
Ross Dye said: “This is yet another example of Liberal Democrats-run Horsham District Council failing its residents. The Lib Dems have taken £1.92 million in government grant for food waste collection but not delivered on time, increased taxes and raised Sunday parking charges by 300%, and wasted over £10.2 million on making The Capitol meet their Net Zero aspirations and £2.5 million on new council offices as a vanity project only months before local government reorganisation.”
