Complaints over rubbish collections at record high

BIN collection failures by councils have risen to record levels, leading to dozens of severely neglected households being handed hundreds of pounds in compensation, figures show.

In the past year more than 400 bin related disputes were upheld by the local government and social care ombudsman, up from 287 in the previous year.

According to a report published today by the ombudsman, 81 per cent of the 498 complaints he received were upheld, up from 225 (55 per cent) of 447 complaints upheld in 2014-15.

The ombudsman only upholds cases where a lack of bin collection by councils has been long and sustained, or if they involve poor customer service or someone with a disability.

In one case, a man had to take his rubbish to a relative’s home for more than three months because the council refused to collect it.

And in another instance, a disabled man receiving assisted collections did not have his bin returned to the correct place for 10 months.

Michael King, the ombudsman, accused councils of “washing their hands” of the failures which he claims had arisen as a result of outsourcing bin collections to private companies.

It comes as spending by English councils on services, such as bins, planning, potholes, and leisure, has fallen by more than £3billion in the past five years.

Budget constraints have forced many councils, including Southampton, Plymouth and Woking, to scrap weekly collections, for fortnightly visits instead, outraging residents.

Cllr Martin Tett, the environment spokesman at the Local Government Association, which represents local councils, said: “Councils know that having a reliable and efficient waste collection and recycling service is hugely important to residents. Councils have seen their core central government funding cut by £2.2 billion this year. Faced with such funding pressures, many are increasingly having to look at cost-effective ways of collecting waste.”