The Council's Responses to the Wheeled Bin Saga

Fortunately, this particular barrister resident is not in court this week, and appears to have time on his hands. Dealing with the bin saga, didn't he need it!

The flurry of correspondence with Brian Graham, Head of Environmental Services and 'Bin Tsar', is now probably clogging up your email in-box - just as the uncollected waste would have over-spilled your bins but for Councillor Cyndi Hughes' intervention. With her stern warning, 'Environmental Services' relented and arranged to remedy the failed Tuesday morning collection.

But where are we now?

Brian Graham seems to have failed to appreciate that South Terrace residents are not used to being treated as naughty children that neglected to read the rules. We comprise senior and elder members, active families, and young busy couples who simply expect a basic bin service and modest level of communication on topics such as bin day.

We first got to grips with the prospect of wheeled bins in April 2013. In June 2013 we heralded the introduction of the new scheme. Probably unique in Darlington, we have even publish the Council's weekly collection link on our Facebook Group.

So, it came as a great shock when one anonymous South Terrace resident reported, "I also informed them that a number of properties missed the collection due to the earlier collection time. They were extremely unhelpful and advised me that there would be no additional collection - that I would need to dispose of any rubbish myself that wasn't collected (as it was my fault I missed it) and that they would not take away any side waste at the next collection".

Looking at the thread of comments on 'Wheeled bins - a Saga of Disaffection' and our Facebook Group, it is evident that Environmental Services simply want to sweep the dust under the carpet. "Agreeing to disagree" is just a euphemism for simply not wanting to listen, and certainly not wanting to say 'sorry'. 

Our thanks go to the residents who took rubbish to the tip, and to those who waited patiently for the Friday collection. But have Environmental Services redeemed themselves? Maybe you can share your views on the Facebook page?