Fortnightly Bin Collections - if you're lucky!

Posted By: Susan Emmott
Date Posted: 16/08/2007

It was interesting to read the latest diary entry from Councillor Ashley Dearnley about the state of rubbish collections. Councillor Dearnley writes about residents that have contacted him about not having had some of their bins emptied for weeks. It seems this is now becoming the norm for many residents across the borough. I too, have had similar complaints from residents.

Only this last week, I have had residents contact me from two streets in Hopwood that have not had their bins emptied for four weeks. On another street, the bins have been collected on one side but not on the other: Crazy!!

Since the imposition of fortnightly bin collections in Heywood, almost two months ago, not a single week has gone by without there being a problem with the rubbish collections in some part of the town. Hardly a week has passed when we have not had a spate of resident’s letters in the Heywood Advertiser complaining about the substandard rubbish collection service they are getting from the Council.

It is now clear: ROCHDALE COUNCIL’S REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICE IS IN CRISIS.

The one major service that the majority of residents expect to see for their Council Tax is not being delivered properly. Bins are not being emptied regularly, some people were not given the correct bags, some people were not even given the blue recycling bins, people on the rural collection are having a sporadic service at best and the Council couldn’t even get the correct leaflets and calendars out to some people – a shambles. What on Earth are people paying their Council Tax for?

Yet, the Cabinet Member responsible for this mayhem, Wera Hobhouse, sticks her head in the sand and refuses to believe there are problems. On the contrary, she even has the gall to extol the virtues of her discredited refuse collection service while residents are left with un-emptied bins and then sometimes told to “sort it out yourself”. She has not even had the common courtesy to reply to Councillor Dearnley’s letter about the problems he has raised with her, despite saying she would personally visit every person whose bins were not emptied on time.

Fortnightly bin collections? If you’re lucky! More like monthly bin collections for some residents.