Residents in Bramhall, Stockport, are facing an eight-week wait for their blue bin collections after the council-owned company Totally Local Company refused to empty bins deemed too full or with open lids. The move has been labelled unfair and unacceptable.
Blue bins for paper and cardboard recycling are normally collected every four weeks. However, bins not collected on July 2 will not be picked up again until August 27, leaving an eight-week gap.
Residents 'picked on again'
Bramhall councillor Peter Crossen expressed anger, saying he is 'extremely unhappy that it's Bramhall, Cheadle Hulme and Woodford being picked on again'. He argued that residents, who pay some of the highest council tax in the country, deserve a fair service.
The situation follows a controversial decision by Stockport Council to enforce a rule that bin crews should not collect bins where the lid is open, citing health and safety guidance. Nearly 900 bins were left uncollected across the borough, leading to criticism from opposition parties.
Council defends policy
The council later arranged catch-up collections but set a cut-off date of July 29, the day before Bramhall's collections. Coun Crossen said residents in his ward did not receive timely communication and were unfairly excluded from the remedial action.
In an email, council officers said the numbers in Bramhall were 'relatively low' and the cut-off was not about being unfair but to establish 'a clear operational end point' while maintaining the wider waste service.
A Stockport Council spokesperson said: 'We share the frustrations of residents whose bins were not collected and understand the inconvenience this caused. Like many waste collection services, the policy is in place to help keep our collection crews safe while they're carrying out their work. Bins that are overfilled or have lids left open can present health and safety risks when they're moved and emptied. We remain focused on delivering a safe and reliable service for residents across the borough.'
