Residents in Peterborough may have noticed missed bin collections this week after Peterborough City Council took direct control of waste and recycling services on 1 April 2026. The transition from the previous provider, Peterborough Ltd, faced immediate operational delays due to the finalisation of a required vehicle operating licence for heavy goods vehicles.
To address the backlog, council refuse collectors will work on Easter Saturday, 4 April 2026. The council has described this as an unprecedented step and has thanked staff for their commitment to clearing the missed rounds. Residents who did not have their bins collected as planned are advised to leave them out for crews to reach during these additional shifts.
The move to bring services in-house follows a decision by the council cabinet on 11 March 2025 to terminate the operational agreement with Peterborough Ltd, which had been in place since 2019. The contract for these services was worth approximately £15m per year. The transition process, which cost between £2.9m and £3.6m, also saw the transfer of approximately 400 workers to direct council employment.
The change in management follows a period of significant industrial unrest. In December 2024, members of the GMB Union who worked for the company voted 78 percent in favour of industrial action following a dispute over pay. Under the new arrangement, approximately 97 percent of the transferred staff have accepted the council’s offer regarding employment terms and conditions.
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