Fortnightly bin collections row: ‘For communal bins it just does not work’

CITY residents have contacted the News in their droves to complain about the controversial move to fortnightly collections and overflowing bins.

Thomas Borthwick, 72, from Lochend Square, witnessed his own street being missed out on Monday morning.

He said: “Mine and my neighbour’s bins haven’t been emptied for the past two weeks. On Monday I went to get my paper at 7.50am and saw the bin lorry collecting rubbish along Sleigh Drive and thought ‘That’ll be our bins away at last’.

“I couldn’t believe it when I got back to find all of them left there and the lorry away off further down Sleigh Drive.

“The only explanation is that they never thought our street was on their route, if not then they just couldn’t be bothered.

“I live alone so my bin was not even half full, it’s now ram-jammed full and overflowing. I’ve got a full bag of rubbish now in the house and don’t know what to do with it.”

Susan Melrose, of Stenhouse Road, told a similar tale of rubbish outside her house for two weeks. She was told by the council to leave it in place despite not being able to arrange pick-up within the next two days.

She said: “I couldn’t believe it. I rang the council and said if they weren’t going to pick up my rubbish then I’d take it off the street and put it alongside my house on the driveway.

“The guy told me to leave it where it was even though he couldn’t guarantee it would be picked up within the next 48 hours.”

Ruth Shepley, from Gillsland Park, said: “Our refuse has not been collected for over two weeks and is now spilling over the ground. I hope the volume of complaints will change the council’s mind. For people in flats with communal bins, it just does not work.”