Antrim and Newtownabbey: Bryson chief apologises to residents over recent waste and recycling collection delays
The chief executive of the Bryson Charitable Group has publicly apologised for recent levels of service, which he said, “fell short of those residents and ratepayers have the right to expect”.
Speaking at a meeting of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council at Mossley Mill, on Monday evening, Shane Logan was responding to criticism locally over waste and recycling collection service issues.
Councillors demanded that Bryson be brought into the chamber to provide an explanation for its recent performance which saw delays in bins being emptied in Antrim and Newtownabbey and to provide an update on the waste harmonisation project which saw the roll-out of wheelie box recycling bins in the Antrim area last year.
At a meeting of the council’s Operations Committee held on January 5, Dunsilly DUP Alderman Linda Clarke said one resident had not received any service in 12 weeks, for example.
Speaking at the same meeting, Antrim DUP Councillor Paul Dunlop BEM claimed residents were “frustrated” since the wheelie-box recycling system was rolled out in the Antrim area, concluding in November.
In a statement read at Monday’s meeting, Antrim and Newtownabbey Mayor Cllr Leah Kirkpatrick outlined residents’ “concern and frustration” over recent waste services provided by Bryson in the borough.
She acknowledged the council’s partnership for the past 20 years with Bryson, which she described, as a “key employer in the borough”.
However, she queried resourcing, stating that Bryson’s collection services have “not met the required standard” and residents have “borne the brunt of this short-coming” in Antrim and Newtownabbey.
She also indicated some residents have not received previously agreed “assisted lifts”, information regarding alternative arrangements has been slow and spillage has occurred. She sought assurance the appropriate level of resource will be sustained and over strategies to prevent any recurrence.
More Favourable
Mr Logan told councillors originally the Antrim contract for the wheelie box system was due to start in May 2025, when, he said, that conditions would have been “more favourable” but the vehicles required were not delivered on time.
He reported “teething problems” implementing the new system but the main problems were with driver shortage, “spike” of illness during late November and December and days lost due to weather. He explained that a usual contingency plan to “over-resource” drivers fell short by two to four drivers.
He went on to say three days of snow and ice at the beginning of the new year “hit us hard”. Mr Logan addressed the “robust recovery plan” agreed with the council, reiterating Bryson’s focus on resource, bringing in additional staff.
“We doubled recruitment and training, drafted additional staff to improve quality, appointed on the ground teams to deal directly with complaints, and our senior team made in-person visits to around 200 residents who were most affected over the period of disruption,” a statement issued by Bryson said.
Mr Logan added: “We want to apologise face to face and take it on the chin.” He committed to “reviewing all plans to drive further improvement, enhancing communications with the council and to over-resourcing particularly over winter months.”
“Since 19 January, the backlog has been cleared and the few collections missed on planned collection days are routinely cleared the following morning,” the statement said.
Severe Weather
However, Mr Logan advised of potential “ongoing problems” such as sickness or blocked access to cul-de-sacs. He reminded that severe weather can impact service and two or three days in a row of snow or ice can take two to three weeks to recover.
“We will continue to over-resource and set our contingency thresholds higher. Our aim is not to be just very good, our aim is to be outstanding. That is where we want to go.”
As part of its charitable status, and to address the market shortage issue, 12 trainees from Bryson Pathways have accepted work placements and have already started HGV training “to ensure we are less vulnerable”, the chief executive continued.
“It was painful for residents and ratepayers and it is very painful for us,” he added.
Following Mr Logan’s address, elected members highlighted “ongoing concerns, the recovery plan, and the future”, the council said. This discussion took place behind closed doors.
A statement issued by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council said: “We value the opportunity to have senior officers from the Bryson Group in attendance at tonight’s meeting to address the ongoing concerns of our constituents regarding the waste collection issues.
“While service levels are not fully restored, we are seeing improvements across the borough which we trust will continue until the high standard of service level is fully restored.
“We appreciate that whilst not everything is in our control we must now ensure that measures are in place to mitigate the risk of this happening again in the future.
“While we are content with the recovery plan and future improvements as laid out by the Bryson Group, the council will continue to monitor and stringently manage all aspects of this waste contract and recovery plan until the previous high standard of service from Bryson Recycling is resumed.
“We would like to sincerely thank the residents of our borough for their patience and understanding during this challenging time.”
Meanwhile, as with other local government areas across Northern Ireland, some Antrim and Newtownabbey services were disrupted when Storm Chandra struck on Tuesday (January 27).
Antrim and Newtownabbey’s household recycling centres were closed during the weather warning with householders advised that wheelie boxes due to be collected on January 27 would not be collected again until Tuesday, February 3.
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter