A TEACHER has slammed Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) after waiting four weeks for her recycling bin to be collected.

Claire Young, who teaches at Cranbourne Business and Enterprise College, and other residents living in Rochford Road, Cranbourne, have been waiting for their bins to be emptied by the council for more than a month, but lorries have been struggling to get down the road.

Waste management company Veolia collects the town’s recycling on behalf of the council, but with ever-increasing numbers of cars parking along both Rochford Road and Solby’s Road, vehicles have been unable to drive down the street.

The company used to reverse down the street, but due to health and safety concerns by BDBC, policy on this has changed and the council is currently trying to find a solution. 

But Ms Young has accused BDBC of wasting taxpayers’ money.

“It’s just silly. Four weeks with no bins being collected and no solution being offered,” Ms Young, 47, said.

“They contract out this company to come and collect the bins, but when they are unable to get down the road, they employ them to come another day when – again – they can’t pick them up.

“It’s an absolute waste of council taxpayers’ money.”

Ms Young added: “There are no problems with the actual rubbish collectors getting down here, it’s just the recycling. 

“You would have thought they could use the same trucks but that is probably too easy.

“We’re encouraged to recycle but then when we do, nothing gets done.”
Brookvale and Kings Furlong councillor Mike Westbrook has also called for BDBC to resolve the issue and has commended Ms Young and other residents for highlighting the issue.

Cllr Westbrook said: “Residents began contacting me regularly, mainly just after collection days.

“From my inquiries it soon became clear that both residents and I were receiving the same message from the waste team, the recycling lorries are unable to get around the Rochford Road and Solby’s Road one-way system because of parked vehicles.

“The only thing being recycled on time in the past six weeks has been this process.

“It needs to be sorted out.”

Cllr Westbrook added: “Officers believe that by reducing the width of parking bays at certain points and putting up signage to ask residents to avoid parking there on collection day, this may solve the problem.

“This has been a good example of the community working together on a tricky issue.”

Cllr Hayley Eachus, cabinet member for regulatory services and the environment, said an urgent investigation into finding a solution would be carried out.

Cllr Eachus added: “A recent review of health and safety revealed concerns about the collection vehicles getting down Rochford Road and Solby’s Road. 

“Cars parked at the junction restrict the turning space on the one-way system, especially for the longer recycling collection vehicle.

“We have written to residents and inspections are made on the collection day every week to see whether the large vehicles can get round the junction safely. 

“If it is not safe, crews return on the same day, and on another day if needed and then double collections are made on the next collection day.

“We are now urgently investigating a solution, including parking restrictions at the junctions to ensure regular safe access.”

What do you think?

Have you experienced missed collections in Basingstoke? 
Please email your views to newsdesk@basingstokegazette.co.uk.