Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon bin collection service is 'simply not good enough', say councillors
Alderman Stephen Moutray caused a stir at a recent council meeting when he suggested that “alternative operating models” should be considered in a bid to improve the reliability of the ABC borough bin collection service.
The DUP representative angrily pointed out many households had not had their bins emptied over the Easter weekend.
Councillors are provided with daily bin collection figures, and on the day of the meeting, collections had been missed in 312 streets across the borough.
Ald Moutray said: “Residents across Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon are being badly let down. Over the last week and over the Easter holidays, thousands of bins have been left uncollected once again.
“This council shows an inability to deliver one of its most basic responsibilities. Bin collection is not a luxury service, it is the single most important core duty for ratepayers that every one of us relies on.
“This is not a one-off, it’s not a holiday hiccup, it’s part of a clear pattern of inconsistency and declining service that residents of our borough are growing weary of.
“It just simply isn’t good enough. Residents deserve better, but more importantly they deserve a plan, not vague reassurances, a real accountable plan to fix the failures in the waste collection service before the situation gets even worse.
“The people of this borough are not asking for miracles, they’re asking for their bins to be collected on a timely basis once a week. It’s time for management and unions to work together to give the people a reliable service, and to put an end to this nonsense.
“It’s not a good look for anyone, when residents get their rates bill on a Monday, but on a Thursday and Friday they can’t get their bins emptied.
“Given the seriousness of this situation – and any one of the 41 councillors here knows how let down and angry our constituents are at this time – I’m calling on the chief executive to intervene directly, if he hasn’t to date, and to work with the director [Jonathan Hayes, director of Environmental Services & Sustainability] and his team to sort this out.
“As we stand tonight, 312 [streets] have not had their collections today. I have no hesitation in saying alternative operating models will need to be explored if the situation isn’t resolved and resolved soon, and a proper service delivered.”
SDLP Councillor Thomas O’Hanlon shared the frustration.
“Over the last number of months [we’ve been getting] a daily update, and it has been very useful, but it has also exposed where the issues are. I now nearly dread that email coming out on an evening,” he said.
“I’m getting calls from residents who [tell me] a month can go by where bins aren’t emptied.
“I understand there are difficulties, but if we cannot get the basics right, that’s where I have serious questions.”
Portadown SF Councillor Clare McConville-Walker said: “Our ratepayers do deserve the top quality, frontline services which I know if we work together within this council we can give them, and I think that needs to be the focus.
Councillor Scott Armstrong (DUP, Armagh DEA) added: “It seems to be that the only consistent thing about emptying bins is the inconsistency of it, which is absolutely disastrous in a council of this size.”