THURROCK Council has rubber stamped a review of its waste collection service and has put in place an interim plan to ensure residents get a better service.
Cabinet agreed a new interim service which will see general waste collected weekly and alternate fortnightly collections of recycling and garden waste in brown bins. The brown bin was recently suspended.
Speaking at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Andrew Jefferies, leader of council and councillor responsible for the environment, said: “There has been a service that’s not been acceptable to people for quite some time with regard to brown bins. We have however, delivered a much improved service on the recycling and the general waste bins. They’ve been collected on the day they should be collected. If they are not it’s been reported and investigated.
“The problem we had was with brown bins. The proposal that has come forward ensures people get their brown bins collected throughout the summer months when they are most needed. We’re collecting recycling bins and general waste bins and then we are carrying out a complete review of the service. The Government is expecting us to include waste and they may ask for further changes so I think we are doing the right thing.
The council said the review “will look at all aspects of household waste collections to create a sustainable and reliable service which meets residents’ needs and can be delivered consistently on budget”.
Speaking after the meeting Mr Jefferies said: “It is clear that bin collections cannot carry on as it has been.
“I have heard what residents had to say and I am determined that we find a long-term solution to the issue of bin collections – that is what the strategic review we have approved this evening will do.”
He added: “By carrying out a full and thorough review we will be able to design a service that residents will be able to rely on and will collect bins on schedule. It is vital that this review be allowed the time it needs to create a service that is fit for purpose and can be delivered consistently on budget.
“While this work is underway, we will operate an interim service that makes the best use of available resources to prioritise regular collection of all three bins, which will mean fortnightly collections of garden waste and recycling and weekly collections of general waste.”
