Heywood residents frustrated after bin not collected for almost seven weeks

Heywood residents Beth and Lee Tennant are frustrated with Rochdale Council after their bin was not collected for almost seven weeks.

Beth and Lee, who live on Albert Street, Heywood, state that seven weeks ago they received their new brown waste bin, after waiting over the designated time for the delivery. They were told that this issue was down to high demand for the bins.

After changing their families waste disposal practices and using the new bin, they ensured that the bin was put out every Wednesday for collection. But despite their endless efforts, they state that the bin was never collected and that this went on for almost seven weeks.

In a letter to Mark Widdup, Director of Economy and Environment at Rochdale Council, seen by Rochdale Online, it reads: “That is six weeks plus of waste food festering in the bin, in the summer heat. In fact, it has remained at the collection point to the rear of our property for some two weeks, as the thought of returning a maggot and fly infested bin close to the house is to be quite frank disgusting and repulsive. The thought of what may be lurking at the bottom of the bin is the stuff of nightmares and something only your environmental health team would be interested in.

“We have had several phone calls to the waste management team, each being dealt with by friendly and reassuring operators that our waste is indeed going to be collected and they will be in touch with the depot management and put a note on the system. As nice as these people are, they haven’t been able to get this brown bin emptied. Thus the problem stays the same. It is all very well having bucket loads of empathy being poured down the phone if the issue remains.”

The couple are now concerned that this problem will continue to occur following the announcement that waste collections will now only occur once every three weeks.

The letter continues: “I’d like to bring to your attention the widely publicised initiative launched by Jacqui Beswick in the local media, both in paper form and online, highlighting the need for Rochdale Council to reduce the amount of rubbish being sent to landfill and increasing the recycling rates amongst residents of the borough.

“I am pretty sure it was part of spotting this in the media that prompted us to ask for a brown bin. We are passionate about recycling in this house and are keen to do our thing. Hence our bitter disappointment of your failure at the other end of the ‘bargain’, 'contract’, call it what you may: your services have let us down repeatedly when we are doing our level best to help you as a council.

“So maybe you can let me know, just when exactly we are to expect our brown bin to be emptied. Seven weeks is NOT acceptable or hygienic. I would also like to know, who is going to be sanitising it once/if, it is emptied.”

Martin Taylor, Head of Environmental Management at Rochdale Borough Council said: “Every week over 88,000 households have their bins emptied and we endeavour to collect every bin.

“Unfortunately, we do sometimes miss bins and for this, the council apologises for any inconvenience caused. We take every complaint very seriously and the garden waste bin has now been emptied.

“On this occasion, the bin was missed due to a clerical error resulting in the household not being added to a garden waste collection when the bin was ordered. The council apologises and can confirm that the bin has now been added to the collection round.”