Surveillance state: coming to a recycling centre near you?
The council has installed ANPR cameras at its 3 recycling centres at Pixash in Keynsham Midland Road in Bath and Old Welton in Radstock to prevent callers from outside the district from using the facilities.
It has informed residents of the move via its website, as follows:
From 2 April 2013 you will need a FREE electronic Recycling Centre Resident’s Permit. You will not be able to use any of three our Recycling Centres with out [sic] this.
According to the council, the move is necessary as it could not afford to subsidise the cost of disposing of waste belonging to people who live elsewhere. The council also states somewhat disingenuously that residents’ council tax pays for them to dispose of their recycling, but somehow omits to state that the council earns income from selling stuff that can be recycled.
Nevertheless, it is asking its residents to sacrifice their privacy – and hence their liberty – to recycle or dispose of domestic waste.
Benjamin Franklin had something to say about sacrificing liberty. Writing in 1775, he stated:
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
A loss of liberty to save a few bob on the rates? 🙁 Whatever next?