Bolton Council has been slammed by furious residents after announcing it would pare back rubbish collections to just once a month.
The authority had warned locals that their collection days and bin lorry routes would be subject to change in a push to improve the reliability of the service – but with paper and cardboard collections cut to just monthly, residents and councillors alike were quick to raise concerns.
Bolton Council said bin lorries had been “seeing many beige bins [for paper and cardboard] that are not full” – which they blamed on a “significant reduction in the purchase of newspapers” – and claimed the halved collection days would increase reliability and efficiency.
But the initial switch-over has left locals in limbo, with some claiming they would have to wait for as long as six weeks for their beige bins to be collected again.
Locals claimed they could be waiting for up to six weeks for their beige bins to be collected (file photo)
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On social media, locals criticised the council, with some raising concerns over fly-tipping, and others making jabs over a hypothetical council tax refund.
One fumed: “Who makes these decisions? Do the council just decide they can’t be bothered doing their job for a few weeks and stop without notice, or is it agreed with the local councillors?”
While another said: “My paper bin won’t be emptied for nearly six weeks… Is this a joke? It’s normally full after one week.”
Another added: “Disgusting! When do we get the council tax refund for this lack of service”, while one more weighed in, saying: “What an absolute joke – the bin is small enough as it is.”
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In response, the Tory Councillor for Westhoughton North and Hunger Hill, Martin Tighe, expressed his shared concerns, agreeing with one resident who joked that locals slapped with five-week collection schedules should receive a discount, and pledging to give his constituents an extra collection day.
But his vow of support wasn’t enough to placate some residents, with one saying: “A five week gap between the cardboard collections [is] way too long – and no new date or day for the black bins? What planet are these people on?
“They want us to recycle but then expect us to pile up the cardboard presumably inside our homes, so it does not attract vermin or get wet!
“Who wants a spare room full of recycling in their house?”
Another Councillor, Labour’s Richard Silvester, the cabinet member for climate change and environment, said: “Having not seen any changes since 2010, our waste collection service has needed an overhaul for quite some time.
“With thousands of additional properties in some areas, routes needed to be revised. By reconfiguring our routes, all residents will benefit from an improved service.”
He noted residents’ concerns, and said he wanted to reassure locals that the new service would be more reliable.
Silvester added that “flattening carboard boxes is an easy way to free up space in your beige bin and flattened cardboard can also be left at the side of the beige bin on collection days”.
However, the council said if residents wanted another bin they would be subjected to weeks-long consultations, approvals, payments and a “waste audit” carried out by an “experienced recycling officer”.