Green waste bags still piling up (From Swindon Advertiser)

Green waste bags still piling up

9:49am Thursday 27th September 2012 in News

SWINDON Council’s Labour group has found the authority is still behind on collecting green waste bags – even though the Conservative administration claimed last week that the problem had been solved.

Earlier this month, the Adver reported that thousands of bags had piled up on streets as Swindon Commercial Services Ltd struggled to clear a backlog, which filled up its storage capacity at Waterside Park and an off-site storage facility as well.

The council said there had been a massive rise in the volume of garden waste needing collecting this summer, due to ideal growing conditions and a tendency for householders to use the kerbside service rather than take sacks to the household recycling centre.

The administration said during a full council meeting on Thursday that extra workmen and vehicles had been brought in the previous week and collections should be on time again.However, Labour members discovered while canvassing at the weekend that residents in Barcelona Crescent, in Wroughton, had not seen a collection for two weeks – and they took photographs to prove it was piling up, before reporting the problem.

Coun Mark Dempsey, deputy Labour leader, said: “The service has been frustrating for people and there’s still difficulties being experienced across the town by many.

“It seems that the Conservatives are still in denial about the problem.”

Deputy council leader, Coun David Renard (Con, Haydon Wick) said: “As far as I’m aware it was all up to date.

“The area I represent has had problems and they were resolved a week ago, and as I drive around the town I haven’t spotted problems “I imagine it’s a particular issue in a particular area which we would be happy to look at and solve.”