LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Response to bins appeal proves to be just rubbish

I contacted Environmental Health at the council, and they were very helpful and said they would look into the situation. I received a phone call the next day from a nice chap at Environmental Health to say they had been and had a look, reported the bins and they would be collected.

If only. On Friday when they still hadn’t been collected, I phoned Environmental Health again to be advised to contact Waste Management for an update which I did though it took over 40 minutes for the phone to be answered. I was told they had no knowledge of the bins, so I gave all the details once again — four bins and their colours, I was told they would look into it.

The following week I phoned again, twice, both times to be told by Waste Management they had no knowledge of my previous phone calls but someone had knowledge because environmental crime scene tape was put on the bins.

During my last phone call I was told it could take up to ten working days for the bins to be collected — that’s 14 days in total of full, smelly, fly-ridden bins on the street. I wonder if that has anything to do with the increase in rats around William Street and Albion Road?

But at least I had a timescale — and today was black bin/pink lid collection day and working day ten. If only. The dustbin lorry arrived and did not take the bins. The bin men told me they had been instructed to only take black bin/pink lid bins. I phoned Waste Management. Guess what? They have no knowledge of my previous phone calls — and it wouldn’t be the usual bin collection round as the bins are contaminated waste. Now, forgive me for my lack of understanding but I thought black bin/pink lid was contaminated waste, ie any household waste.

Yet again they can’t tell me when the bins will be collected. I was told it might be today, it might be tomorrow, it might be next week, but they couldn’t say for sure.

I have made a formal complaint but am not holding my breath that the bins will be emptied.

All I wanted was someone to tell me when the bins would be collected. That way I could hold the council to account if that did not happen. But clearly this council does not want to be held to account. And I know I don’t live in Moorgate or Wickersley but I wonder if they have to wait as long as Wellgate residents for a good service.

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