Flintshire County Council has attributed a series of missed bin collections across the county to operational and resource pressures, as well as route planning problems. The council's Streetscene and Transportation Department acknowledged that these issues have affected service for several months.
In one case, residents of the Hawthorn Meadows development in Buckley have been without waste collection since April. Nathan Long, one of 61 residents who moved into the site off Well Street this year, said no one on the development had received new bins or had their waste collected.
"We did all the things you are supposed to do," Long said. "We were among the first to move in and we signed up to pay our council tax – because you don't want to be in arrears on that – and also registered for our bins and for waste collection. But we have had nothing."
Rural residents face repeated collection failures
In Brynford near Holywell, Laura Lloyd reported that the council had missed half of her three-weekly black bin waste collections. She said the situation had led to fly-tipping near her bins. Lloyd has to take her bins to the end of a lane for collection, and one bin was left there for five weeks after the council repeatedly failed to collect it.
"This cycle has continued for months," she said. "I've contacted my local councillor Fran Lister who helped me get my bin collected last month but even she has had no success this month. It's absolutely ridiculous, the amount of phone calls and emails."
Katie Wilby, Flintshire County Council's Chief Officer for Streetscene and Transportation, apologised for the issues. She said recent operational and resource pressures forced the council to use crews unfamiliar with complex rural routes.
"The council apologises for the repeated missed waste collections and the resulting frustration, especially during the recent hot weather," Wilby said. "Recent operational and resource pressures forced us to use crews unfamiliar with complex rural routes. We have also recently reduced the number of rounds, which aimed to build resilience; however, it temporarily increased pressure on the team whilst they were adapting to the changes."
Council reviews process for new developments
Wilby addressed the criticism regarding the process for incorporating new-build housing sites into bin routes. She said the council is looking to speed up the process but must carry out correct assessments before committing to new routes.
"Newly constructed properties do not automatically appear on the council's waste and recycling collection system when they become occupied," she said. "There is a process that must be completed before a new property or development can be safely incorporated into existing collection rounds. This is currently being reviewed to ensure it is correct and seamless while trying to improve the timely response to the new residents of Flintshire."
Wilby noted that for new developments, the council expects developers to engage in advance of occupation so that waste and recycling requirements can be assessed. This includes confirming completed properties, ensuring addresses are registered, determining appropriate bins, identifying collection points, and undertaking a site-specific risk assessment to ensure safe access for collection vehicles.
Other Castle Green developments, including the large Airfields development in Deeside, had bin collections sorted within a month while roads were still under construction. A spokesperson for Castle Green Homes said it is not standard practice for a homebuilder to inform the local authority of when residents move in, noting that residents of Hawthorn Meadows had applied for bins through the council but were yet to receive them.
Flintshire County Council said that where arrangements have not been made in advance, residents should contact the council directly. Wilby said a Recycling Officer can liaise with the development and residents to establish which properties are occupied, complete necessary checks, and incorporate eligible properties into the service as quickly as possible.
