Keep your bin out!

Speaking during last nights (Monday) Full Council meeting, the Director urged householders to ‘be patient and understanding’ adding ‘we are doing our very best but these are difficult situations’.

Mr John Michael explained: “We have been having grave problems with our refuse collect over the past few weeks due to the severe weather conditions and the icy roads.

“At present we have all our staff and vehicles available to rectify the situation. People must remember we have to collect waste from every household - 11,500 households on a weekly basis.

“The condition of the roads in numerous estates is even worse than the main roads. On a daily basis we are making an assessment on the safety of our 26 ton vehicles to go into these difficult areas without causing damage to people’s vehicles, gardens etc. When a 26 ton vehicle moves in the wrong way it is hard to stop it, breaking won’t even work.

“My advice to residents is to keep your bin out and when we can carry out our collections we will.

“Semicock Road areas were one of the difficult estates and that was done today (Monday).”

Offering reassurance, the Director added: “We understand and sympathize with everyone affected by this. Our grey bin collections happen every two weeks and if one is not carried out then it could be a month’s wait. This is obviously inconvenient for householders, especially after the Christmas period.

“I would like to reassure everyone that we are doing our very best but these are difficult situations, so please be patient. Most people are very understanding but there have been others not so. To get a car out onto the road is hard enough but to get a 26 ton lorry there is much worse.“

In response Cllr John Finlay praised the Director and his staff stating: “They are all doing a great job and working around the clock to sort the situation out.

“We must remember that it is difficult from them to and we have to always consider their safety.”

Concluding, Cllr Harry Connolly added: “I live in one of the bad areas in the borough, but we’ve had a collection.

“I would just like to thank everyone for that.”