Appeal to council over 'full to the brim' bins

Reporter: Rosalyn Roden
Date published: 15 March 2017


A DISABLED woman has complained after Oldham Council failed to collect her waste bins.

June Walker (81) of Longfield Crescent, Littlemoor, is unable to leave her home without a wheelchair and has an agreement with the council that her bins would be emptied for her.

However, she and her son contacted the Oldham Chronicle after the rubbish and recycling department failed to collect her bins "on several occasions".

The council has apologised for not emptying one bin but said this one complaint was the only direct contact it had about this address. It also said the bins were "cross-contaminated" but emptied them as a one-off.

June said: "My dustbins are full up and they are supposed to empty them.

"I phoned the council and they said they would come out on Monday or Tuesday, but they never showed up.

"I wanted all of them emptying, but they came and only emptied one. So I rang again.

"They came and only emptied one again."

Her son Stephen (61), from Stafford, said June is unable to carry her bins up the 10 steps and she requires additional help.

He claimed to have first contacted the council on Thursday, February 23, but has had to "keep calling them".

Stephen said: "We have had to keep calling them. They came and only emptied one bin. The others are all full to the brim because they keep forgetting to empty them."

Councillor Barbara Brownridge, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and co-operatives, said: "We have checked our records and on February 23 we missed emptying the grey bin, for which we apologise.

"Once we were informed we returned and collected the waste.

"Subsequently, an officer paid a visit to the address after we were contacted by the media. He found the bins were all cross-contaminated with the wrong waste.

"The officer spoke to the occupant and advised her about which waste should go in which bin. We also arranged for them to be emptied as a one-off.

"If we miss a bin collection, or if you have a query about what goes in which bin then we would urge you to contact us via our website or call 0161-770 6644."