Hygiene fears over bin bag collection
BIN bags left uncollected for more than five weeks left residents facing a “health hazard” and unable to open their windows due to the smell.
They also worried the waste, which accumulated after two scheduled collections were missed, would attract rats.
It’s a situation that left tenant Beverly Hier, whose flat is just a few feet away from one of the two communal bin stores, feeling down and unwell.
The strong smell of waste coming from the store at Clarence Court on Station Hill, Maesteg, meant it was impossible for her to open the windows.
After the second missed collection Beverly contacted the Glamorgan Gazette and, after the council was alerted, the bags were collected on Friday afternoon.
But Beverly fears this will not be the end of the problem.
“It’s getting me down, it’s making me feel unwell,” said Beverly, 49.
“It’s totally unsanitary. It’s a health hazard.”
It’s not the first time that Kier, Bridgend County Borough Council ’s waste contractors, have missed collections, she claims.
She is also continuing to fight a battle with housing association Hafod to have the bin store moved further away from her home and made secure to prevent fly tipping.
Beverly said the insecure bin stores are used to dump everything from televisions to vacuum cleaners and microwaves, and members of the public also drive up and dump their excess bin bags.
“People pull up in their cars and there are bin bags in the back,” she said.
“I approached one man and said ‘I’m sorry it’s residents’ only’ and he said ‘tough’ and went for me!”
She fears the issue will only get worse when a new cap on how many rubbish bags people can leave out for collection
comes in on June 5.
Most residents in Bridgend county will only be allowed to put two blue bags of non-recyclable waste out once a fortnight.
In the last two years Beverly has complained to Kier, Hafod Housing and Bridgend council and the Local Government Ombudsman, but feels like no progress has been made.
Hafod had previously notified her they had funding to knock-down and move the two bin stores, but this hasn’t happened.
Also, after the council’s regulatory service and Hafod acknowledged rats were a problem in the bin stores, a grill and a board were put over the bottom part of the gates to prevent rodents gaining access.
But Beverly said rats can still access the black bags through gaps at the top of the gates and the walls of the bin store.
She said all the residents in the flats recycle food waste, but she believes the fly-tipped bags contain food and are attracting the rats.
Independent councillor Ross Penhale-Thomas has been helping Beverly tackle the issue.
He said: “Clarence Court appears to be the ‘forgotten cul-de-sac’ so far as refuse collection is concerned. I have reported the missed collections when I’ve learnt of them – it’s not acceptable. I’m concerned that we already have these problems prior to the new waste and recycling scheme coming in.”
A spokesman for Bridgend council said: “We’ve checked our records for 2017 and have found a single complaint on file about a delayed collection.
“The council has contacted Hafod Housing and Kier to arrange a site meeting so we can discuss the use of the bin storage area at Clarence Court, and we also have asked Kier to investigate this latest issue as a matter of urgency.”
And Trevor Saunders, Hafod’s neighbourhood housing manager, said: “We are aware that there have been some issues with waste management at the site.
“We will be meeting with Kier and the council to resolve these as quickly as possible. This will include reviewing the current bin store arrangements and we will advise our tenants directly of the outcome.”