Guardian News

Liberal Democrat leader slams council for confusion over brown bin collection schedule

By David Morgan

3:00pm Friday 27th January 2012

A LIBERAL Democrat leader has accused Cheshire East Council of failing to inform residents about changes to their garden waste collections.

The authority’s brown bin service was suspended throughout December and January.

But Rod Fletcher, Leader of Cheshire East Liberal Democrats, said there has been an ‘appalling breakdown in communications’.

He said many Middlewich residents felt they were not informed as they did not receive a schedule of waste collections in the post.

He said: “We urge members of the public to make their views known to officers and the cabinet about the appalling breakdown in communications to the public about changes to bin collections.

“What is happening to the refuse vehicles and loaders while the brown bins are not being collected?

“November to February is the prime time for pruning shrubs and trees.There are also many Christmas trees waiting for collection.

“It is a good job that Cheshire East don’t fine people for putting there bins out on the wrong day.”

A spokesman for Cheshire East Council said that the brown bin rota will restart on January 30 and the suspension of the service saved taxpayers money when the ‘demand was minimal’.

She said: “All residents were informed of the suspension via their collection calendars, which are available online.

“The December/January period has been identified as a time when the amount of green waste is significantly reduced, hence the suspension of collections for this type of waste.

“Cheshire East is saving council taxpayers’ money by suspending green-waste bin collections over the six-week period when demand is minimal.”

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