New £25 garden waste bin policy is a complete shambles
Dear Editor I have resided in Perthshire since 1989; I am 81-years-old, living on my own, with a heart condition.
I have lived in my current address since April 1992.
The substance of my criticism is that my garden waste bin has not been uplifted this morning.
The relevant background, to this failure to uplift, is as follows:
1. I paid by cheque (dated February 10, 2018) the fee of £25 for one garden waste bin to be emptied; the cheque was cashed according to my bank statement by March 20, 2018.
2. My garden waste bin is full and my garden is generating further such waste, it being spring time. I put the bin out for collection today (April 13, 2018).
3. I had received no advice from the environmental department of the council regarding the method of identified uplift, despite my cheque being cashed.
4. I sent a letter to the department and also phoned on Tuesday last (April 10, 2018); I was assured that the adherent symbol for the bin was in the post ; I therefore expected to receive it by Thursday, April 12, 2018; this event did not occur.
5. When I telephoned the receptionist in the environmental department again on Thursday, April 12, 2018 I was assured that the bin would be emptied as I had paid the relevant fee and that the uplift workers would be advised.
5. My bin was not emptied this morning, despite my payment of the fee and the telephone conversations with relevant staff of the environmental department. There has been no expression of regret from the staff when I phoned again today. It has been an exercise in gross incompetence.
The next uplift is scheduled for a fortnight hence; what do I do about my garden waste? It is accumulating considerably at this time of year.
I do understand that local councils have to seek ways of raising extra funding in the wake of a policy of public expenditure cutbacks in real terms by Westminster, affecting devolved areas, as well as indirectly Scottish local councils.
However, it does not excuse this failure to serve a paying resident adequately, effectively leaving the problem with him. John F Petrie Address supplied