Black wheelie bins for Hereford

[Alex]

I understand that Hereford will soon be having black wheelie bins and refuse collections reduced to once a fortnight.

 

 

Half the rubbish bags that are over a week old stink and that's if the local wildlife has not already opened them and dragged the contents along the streets. Not the best idea in my opinion.

[Biomech]

As I mentioned in another thread, i could probably do that. But for many families and properties it's potentially going to cause big problems.

[Alex]

As I mentioned in another thread, i could probably do that. But for many families and properties it's potentially going to cause big problems.

Of course, is this about trying to save money or just a silly idea?

[Ubique]

We had both black and green wheelie bins in 1995 in South Devon. Had no real complaint with them , the only problem we experienced was when we had a turkey / chicken carcuss and the collection day was a week or more away , I then stuffed the carcuss into a carrier bag and dump it in a Council waste bin.

I accept fully that not all houses are suitable for one ,let alone two wheelie bins , that's where the Council MUST use common sense

( oh dear !) and plan accordingly .

[Ubique]

Further to my last , if the Council do decide to go ahead and issue householders a black wheelie bin I hope that it's made in the UK and not Germany ( like my recycle bin )

[megilleland]

The proposal for two weekly bin collections is fine if everyone can put their rubbish out on the morning of collection and not days before as I have highlighted in previous posts.

 

If left on the streets until collection, spillage from the bags caused by animals on the street, will mean broken glass, babies nappies and food waste strewn up the street. When people see that no one really minds the rubbish on the street, fly tipping of larger items then begins and the area looks unpleasant and blighted.

 

 

 

 

 

Still the council may save a few quid and that is more important than a tidy neighbourhood.

 

Previous bin collection topic here for information.

[Colin James]

I just hope that people clean them from time to time, I see some disgusting wheelie bins on my travels. I wash mine out once a month with a bucket of hot water with bleach in it, I usually take it out near the drain and get my mop or broom around it all, then I hose it clean. There are some horror stories on this forum.

 

Also I hope people find room for them, not sure where I will put another wheelie bin.

[Roger]

I had my green wheelie bin emptied on 12th December and it was next emptied on 9th January. The Council seem to be caught out by Christmas.

 

Imagine if that was a black wheelie bin and you were stuck with the rotting contents for nearly a month. And it would probably include the remains of a turkey carcass and probably some smelly fish as well. And if you got some really young kids' then a good few nappies that you could end up smelling the other end of the street. And if the lid was ajar then the cats will be getting in ...

 

[Biomech]

Might I suggest that "someone" takes a black bag with 2 weeks worth of rotting meat, plants, dog food and cat sick and place it outside the offices of the council with a small note informing them of the duration of the contents.

[Biomech]

The thing is, they are going to run out of things to cut. So next year, when they've wasted more money and got us into more debt, what then? 4 weekly collections? Why are we still paying money to these twats AND paying the price for the financial abuse of several companies/individuals?

 

If I have to dispose of my own rubbish (as they frequently failed to empty the green bin at the front of my house) I WILL be invoicing the council.

 

It would be interesting to know the cost of;

Issuing black wheelie bins and replacements
Additional callouts for refuse collection; you can call them back if they miss your bins and can call them to collect overloaded areas
Cost of cleanup
Cost of/if a reduction in housing prices due to deterioration

It's too late to go fishing for the details, but studies have proven that a **** hole deteriorates further with an increase in crime where's a well kept area instills confidence and lower crime rates 

[silent bull]

We are already forced into buying bags for our rubbish because the council at the time said that they can no longer afford to provide them?

So where's the money coming from to provide every household with an extra wheelie bin??

And quite a few people struggle to find room to stall the green wheelie bin so how are you expecting them to find room for an extra one??

Does all this cost cutting mean that the local councillors and people working for the council that earn over 40 grand a year are willing to take 15%off ttheir salary? ??

[Biomech]

And quite a few people struggle to find room to stall the green wheelie bin 

 

 

 

I have the room, but it does look unsightly not only at my house but also when you look down the streets

[Roger]

Eric Pickles (Govt. Communities Minister) pledged 2 years ago that a weekly rubbish collection was a 'fundamental right'.

 

The promises have unravelled ...

 

 

I know the link is from the Daily Mail, which I'm no fan of, but they outline some basic facts that appear to be true ... 

[Ubique]

I know ,and understand why that I am in the minority when it comes to a black snd a green wheelie bin . They suited me for 8 years before I moved back to Hereford.

I have said before , and I will say again , it must be managed right , houses which are not suitable for two bins should not have two.Simple!

Likewise householder who are unable to move their bin(s) to the allocated location for collection should be assisted by the Refuse Collectors ( think it happens now ).

The photographs that Megiland and Roger have posted are a sad indictment on our Society , where has the pride gone. There is a motto flying around Hereford "who cares who pays - as long as it's not me ! " it appears that the Council will , at some cost clear this rubbish up . Perhaps the Council should be chasing the apparent offenders. Having said that , maybe , just maybe the issue of a black wheelie bin ( made in the UK ) will stop some of this anti social behaviour .

 

I will also add that the two week collection I received in South Devon from 1995 for 8 years was , in the main , I think , with a Labour Govt. In power . I am sure that the "experts ' will soon post the dates they were in Power.

[Biomech]

Hereford Council can't clean up their own public street bins, how on earth are they expecting to deal with everyone elses?

[twowheelsgood]

The issue of houses (or flats) with nowhere for a bin is pertinent - both Bartonsham and Whitecross are largely dense Victorian housing, most close to the pavement, with little or no space for one let alone two bins. I'm in such an area and we are allowed to put out recycling in clear bags, which is fine, but two weeks of black bags certainly will not be. I suspect, as ever, little in depth thought has been given to the proposal. A clip board carrying council clerk had to come and measure the front gardens in our street to confirm they were too small, and that only after much protest when we'd been told we were having 'em.

[philbates]

I agree with biomech, there was a news article on the TV yesterday and as the presenter walked along a street of terraced houses all you could see was a forest of dirty wheelie bins.

It once took the council over 4 weeks to empty the overflowing bin outside of St Martins School it involved phone calls to the council and the local member. I was told that nothing could be done until an inspector had visited and that he was busy, also that as they school was closed then there was no need to empty it, evan though it was full on the last day of term, keeping our city clean and tidy is not a new problem and if you live in certain areas you are at the bottom of the pile.

[Roger]

I agree with biomech, there was a news article on the TV yesterday and as the presenter walked along a street of terraced houses all you could see was a forest of dirty wheelie bins.

It once took the council over 4 weeks to empty the overflowing bin outside of St Martins School it involved phone calls to the council and the local member. I was told that nothing could be done until an inspector had visited and that he was busy, also that as they school was closed then there was no need to empty it, evan though it was full on the last day of term, keeping our city clean and tidy is not a new problem and if you live in certain areas you are at the bottom of the pile.

 

The dog waste bins behind my house in Churchill Gardens get emptied at least once, if not twice, a day. So I agree totally with your comment about there being a pecking order or 'pile' as you put it ~ with regards to rubbish collection.

 

It's rather like the grass cutting. Some areas are like a bowling green most of the time as they are top of the Council pile. Other areas are left for months on end. Which includes Churchill Gardens ... Unlucky as it's top of the pile for bin emptying. It must be different departments involved ... 

 

[Aylestone Voice]

Looks like the decision is about made - and it is our friend Geoff again!!

 

http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=2658

[dippyhippy]

Noooooo !!

 

Not Geoff again?????

[megilleland]

The Director for Economy, Communities and Corporate be authorised to come to agreement with waste collection contractors, FCC Environment Ltd (FCC), for an extension of seven years to the existing arrangements to achieve significant savings by moving to alternate weekly collections of recycling and refuse; and

 

What's all this about? How can the council be saving money if it is proposing to extend FCC's contract by seven years. Paying less, but for a longer period. Surely another contractor could offer a better price to cover the existing collections. After all the waste is collected everyday in Spain and they do not use black bags. They have large bins located on the collection routes and people put their waste in them preventing vermin and litter on the streets. They also act as public waste bins.

[megilleland]

From the Hereford Times - Your Say March 20th 2014: 

 

Recycling the way forward

 

YOUR front page article on March 6 correctly highlighted the fact that Herefordshire Council is considering moving to an alternate week collection for recycling and waste.

 

I would just like to take the opportunity to clarify the situation.

 

We are looking at alternate weekly collection because it will reduce costs and increase the rate of recycling across the county.

 

It is important that we reduce costs so that we can fund our priorities of keeping vulnerable children and adults safe and investing in jobs, roads and homes.

 

At the same time we are planning an additional push to encourage households to recycle and compost as much of their waste as possible.

 

We are still working through the details but we are looking at supplying the majority of households with free black wheelie bins for their general waste.

 

Under this scheme we would empty the green recycling wheelie bins one week and the black wheelie bins on the other week.

 

This is a widely used approach to waste and recycling collection and has been used successfully in Shropshire and most of Worcestershire for many years.

 

Once we are confident that we have examined the costs and the benefits fully, we will be able to make a final decision and confirm our plans.

 

If we decide to go ahead, the new scheme will start on November 1.

 

We will make sure householders are aware of the changes before they start and we will work hard to encourage people to recycle and compost as much as possible.

 

CLLR HARRY BRAMER Cabinet Member – Contracts and Assets Herefordshire Council

 

Not cut and dried then?

[dippyhippy]

Maybe not!

 

One aspect of refuse collection, that absolutely infuriates me, is that they will only take garden waste if its in one of the extortionately priced green bags that you have to purchase from the council!

We put household waste in black bags that we have purchased - as cheaply as possible - ourselves, why not the same for green bags??

 

I don't actually expect the council to provide black/green bags, but I don't think its fair to stipulate that the only green bags they will take are the ones that I have been forced to purchase from them!!

[Biomech]

It is important that we reduce costs so that we can fund our priorities of keeping vulnerable children and adults safe and investing in jobs, roads and homes.

 

 

 

That is bullshit propaganda that did not need to be included

 

 with free black wheelie bins for their general waste.

 

 

That is bullshit because we pay for them, we also pay them for the service of weekly collections.

 

If we decide to go ahead, the new scheme will start on November 1.

 

 

Ridiculous piece of logistics, whoever thought up that date needs to be fired.

A major change in waste disposal right before Christmas when services are cancelled at that time of year already, with an increase in waste and leaving no room for people to adapt to a new routine.

[dippyhippy]

I would hope that if this fortnightly arrangement is bought in, the powers that be will ensure the Christmas/New Year period is covered. Its one thing to miss a weekly collection.....but fortnightly could be, well, messy to say the least!

[silent bull]

Has a previous poster said "thought the government said that the two week collection should end"(or something like that)

thought I heard/read the same somewhere and I'm sure one or two councils have stopped them too because of health & safety? ?

Personally I find it disgusting to have bins unemptied for over a week, in the winter there's Christmas with amount of rotting food and drinks and there's the summer with the hot weather (and you think sun valley smells bad!!!)

[dippyhippy]

Oh, I KNOW Sun Valley smells bad!

Some days I dare not open the windows.....it seems to be getting worse, have rung environmental health, but they say there is nothing to be done.

As one of the areas biggest employers, I guess they don't want to upset them!

[silent bull]

'Well' rotting food &drink will smell worse and whether the animals/insects or rats can't or can get to it, it's going to attract them to it!!!

Health & safety doesn't come first anymore

 

MONEY DOES! !!!

And it's just going to get worse

[Biomech]

Just coming back to my previous point - did anyone suggest a waste site where I can throw my confidentials into a running incinerator?

[megilleland]

From the Hereford Times - Your Say March 20th 2014: 

 

Herefordshire fortnightly bin collections are "harebrained"

 

I WRITE in reply to the front page article in last week’s Hereford Times in regard to fortnightly refuse collections, and I have to agree with ex-councillor Newman’s sentiments.

 

Newton Farm is one of the most densely populated parts of my ward, with 1,841 properties, some of which are flats. My concern is the fact that we will have a great deal of rubbish being dumped, more than there is now, with the added problem of vermin infestation together with the smell of rotting food and waste.

 

Some larger families are already putting out four to six bags a week and, with cats and dogs smelling food, they will open them up, strewing the contents everywhere.

 

I have been contacted by a woman living in Caerphilly, in Wales, who has read the article and where she has stated in addition to wheelie bins they are supplied with two caddies (one large one small) to take all food waste, together with strong reusable garden bags which are collected each week in a small truck. If all these can be supplied then it may work.

 

It is worth remembering that people living in flats need to have space in which to store these bins. With some not having gardens, where are these bins going to be located? This administration has not thought this through, stating “fortnightly collections are part of the cuts plan in the budget for 2014/15â€.

 

My question is, as the council is in dire straits financially, where is the money coming from for these new black wheelie bins? It would be going headlong into more debt without thinking of how it is going to pay these debts off, or is it the thinking that it will pass this extra cost onto the tax payers of this county who are already finding it very hard to make ends meet? Another hare-brained idea that hasn’t been thought through enough.

 

COUNCILLOR GLENDA VAUGHAN-POWELL Herefordshire Independent, Belmont ward, Herefordshire Council

 

All the relevant agencies are turning a blind eye to the litter and waste problem. You just go round in circles. About time these managers walked around these estates and saw the mess.