‘In the dark’

COUNCILLOR HITS OUT AFTER RESIDENTS ‘NOT TOLD’ ABOUT CHRISTMAS BIN COLLECTION DATES

HOUSEHOLDS across Bristol will once again not be getting a printed copy from the council of their waste collection timetables for the festive period.

Last year the Bristol City Councilowned Bristol Waste Company broke with tradition and stopped giving physical copies of collection dates in a bid to become more environmentally friendly.

Instead, it told more than 200,000 households to access collection information online.

And the message is the same this year.

A spokesman from Bristol Waste said: “In the interest of reducing our impact on the environment we are encouraging residents to download calendars online.

“You can find out when your collection date, and when we will be collecting Christmas trees online by simply entering your postcode.

“If residents are unable to do so, we are happy to send a printed version to them.

“They can contact us on hello@ bristolwastecompany.co.uk or call 0117 922 2100.”

But the decision has angered Bishopsworth councillor Richard Eddy.

The Conservative councillor has claimed local households will be “kept in the dark” during Christmas and New Year when it comes to refuse collection arrangements.

This is the second time Mr Eddy has expressed his disappointment about the change in policy to not hand out printed copies of calendars.

In January he asked Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees a question about the decision and in his reply Mr Rees said the decision would be reviewed and ward councillors would be be kept in the loop.

But Mr Eddy has said he remains angry the decision has been made to continue to direct people online for information.

He added: “As I said publicly last year, many of our older constituents do not have easy access to the Internet and I feel this decision is ill thought out and does nothing to address the need to maintain full communication with Bristolians over the festive season.”

This year Christmas Day falls on a Tuesday. There will be no collections on Tuesday, December 25, Wednesday, December 26 or Tuesday, January 1.

Bristol Waste Company has said household waste recycling centres are closed on December 25 and 26 and January 1 and no collections will take place between December 25 and 26 as well as January 1.

The firm has said staff will be working three extra Saturdays to catch up – December 29, January 5 and January 12.

As a result, collection dates between December 25 and January 11 will take place on a different weekday.