Residents blast bin collection changes (From Winsford Guardian)

Residents blast bin collection changes

12:07pm Thursday 12th July 2012 in News By Matthew Taylor

RECYCLING collection has been labelled a ‘farce’ and ‘ridiculous’ by Winsford residents who say they have been waiting several weeks for their waste to be picked up.

One disabled resident has resorted to dragging her heavy bin to a different part of the street because nobody has collected her rubbish.

Carole Mellor, 51, of Nixon Drive, has trouble walking, and said she had contacted Cheshire West and Chester Council nine times to sort the problem out.

“What a farce this weekly recycle collection is. We had our collection day changed from Thursday to Tuesday, after 8 yrs, and suddenly nobody can find us,” she said.

“We have been missed for the third week running. I spoke on the phone every week to the council and they promised we would get serviced within 24 to 48 hrs, which never happened.

“Why is it so complicated just because a day has changed?

Carole lives on part of Nixon Drive where bins are collected on a different day from nearby houses.

She spoke to one of the bin men when they were collecting from elsewhere on the street.

“He was very polite, and offered to get in touch with someone who would make sure we got emptied, but the guy on the phone at the council said he can’t do that because they have no radios or phones to contact anyone.

“We are expected to try - and I am trying very hard - to follow this new scheme, but am fast loosing the will to carry on. I am wondering if I am going to get a rebate on my rates, because I deserve one.”

Meanwhile, David Higgins, 66, of Hartwell Grove, said he had been waiting five weeks to have his old brown bin picked up. The brown bin was formerly used for garden waste.

““They’re going to be a health hazard. We pay these rates to the council and they’re not interested. If they’ve put it out to a contractor then they shouldn’t be paying them, because they’re not fulfilling their contract,” he said.

He added that he would like to CWaC adopt a scheme like Cheshire East – where all recycling is placed in one bin.

“If one council can do it, then why can’t this one? It’s ridiculous that there’s not a standard through the whole country. I’m all in favour of recycling, but there must be more efficient ways of doing it than having five bins.”

A Council spokesman said: “Residents of Nixon Drive were informed of their revised collection day prior to the launch of the new waste and recycling service on June 18.

“During the transformation, the new domestic waste crew for this route was not aware that the containers were presented at the rear of the property. We have since made arrangements for an additional collection and the crew is now fully aware of where to collect containers from for emptying.”

Regarding Hartwell Grove, a Council spokesman said: “We can confirm that all brown bins in Hartwell Grove have now been removed by our waste and recycling partner May Gurney.”