MORE than 71,000 bin and recycling collections across South Gloucestershire were missed over just six weeks this summer – an average of almost 12,000 households a week.
Opposition Conservatives have accused the council’s Lib Dem/Labour ruling coalition of running a waste service in “chaos” since introducing three-weekly black bin days in May.
In the authority’s latest briefing to councillors, based on data from mid-June to the end of July, officers told members there had been 71,000 recorded missed collections.
If spread evenly among the 118,000 homes in the district, that represents 60% of households missing one collection – but many have missed more than one, while others have not been affected.
The council says a combination of factors, including extreme heat, had caused the issues.
In July, the council fined its kerbside collections contractor Suez for its ‘appalling’ service, and said the company was in breach of its contract.
Successive heatwaves over the summer, which forced crews to work more slowly and finish early before temperatures became unbearable, combined with new collection routes and reduced black bin collections, have caused confusion and missed bin days.
Tory group leader and Frenchay & Downend ward councillor Liz Brennan said: “Residents have endured a summer of chaos.
“The administration has failed to deliver even the basic services people pay for.
“Residents have been asked to pay more for less by accepting these changes, and now they will not receive any kind of remuneration for not receiving the basic service their council tax pays for.
“The situation is completely unacceptable.”
The Tories are urging the coalition to conduct a full review of the waste service changes and provide transparency on contractor performance.
A council spokesperson said the “vast majority” of waste and recycling collections went ahead on the correct day, but successive heatwaves had a significant impact.
Black bin, hygiene and nappy waste collections were prioritised over weekly recycling collections.
The spokesperson said: “Recovering these collections took time, as delayed recycling often results in larger volumes being presented the following week, increasing collection times, and placing additional pressure on vehicles and crews.
“Just as services were recovering from one period of disruption, further hot weather led to additional delays and extended the recovery period.”
The spokesperson said the move to three-weekly black bin collections had increased the resources available for recycling collections, to manage increased amounts of recyclable material, and four dedicated hygiene and nappy waste vehicles had also been introduced.
The spokesperson added: “We recognise that some residents have experienced missed or delayed collections and apologise for the disruption caused.”
By Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporting Service