Urgent appeal to empty bins
Overflowing bins have been giving residents at Combie Court cause for concern this week, and not for the first time.
Robert Johnson’s kitchen window looks out on to the stinking pile of rotting rubbish that hides what should be a tidy, covered, communal bins area, housing both rubbish and recycling containers.
Mr Johnson claims that there have been no bin collections of either type for more than a month and is worried that the threat of a rodent invasion comes to fruition.
‘It’s an absolute disgrace,’ he fumed.
‘I have phoned my landlord, West Highland Housing Association, which in turn has contacted Argyll and Bute Council, regarding this twice in the past week and despite promises to send someone to collect it, it’s still there, and growing.’
Mr Johnson, who has mobility problems, is forced to look out on to the heinous heap every time he uses his kitchen and has to keep his window closed to keep the unsavoury stench from invading his home. ‘I’m also scared the rats come and get into the house,’ he added.
‘It’s totally unacceptable. There are wee kids in this building as well and they shouldn’t be running around out there with the threat of vermin and disease.’
Mr Johnson claimed he was told that the council bin lorry fleet was two vehicles down and that the amenities department was having to ‘jiggle things around’ a bit in order to clear up the backlog.
When contacted by The Oban Times on Tuesday, Oban South councillor Roddy McCuish cited the ongoing utility work on Glencruitten Road as part of the recent problem but also admitted that the overall service needed to be improved.
‘We couldn’t get the bin lorries up the street due to the ongoing maintenance work but I am now trying to arrange to have smaller vehicles collect the rubbish from Combie Court as soon as we can, either today or Wednesday.
‘I can only apologise for any inconvenience to residents this has caused. Hopefully, it will be finished soon and regular bin collections can resume.
‘The reliability of the fleet is causing me some concern. We are trying to do a lot more with a lot less.
‘I would be quite happy to sit down with the residents of Combie Court and West Highland Housing Association to discuss any issues relating to bin collections. Hopefully, a solution can be found soon.’
A spokesperson from Argyll and Bute Council confirmed Mr McCuish’s summary of the situation at Combie Court. ‘There is utility work going on in the area which means the bin lorry cannot gain access,’ they said. ‘We are keeping a close eye on the situation.’