ianstone
09-03-2010, 03:02 PM
Council forces pensioners to drag wheelie bins 100 yards - so DUSTMEN aren't injured on potholed road
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 4:11 PM on 3rd September 2010
Comments (98) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308716/Council-forces-pensioners-drag-wheelie-bins-100-yards--DUSTMEN-arent-injured-potholed-road.html#comments)
Add to My Stories (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308716/Council-forces-pensioners-drag-wheelie-bins-100-yards--DUSTMEN-arent-injured-potholed-road.html)
A council has refused to collect bins from outside homes on a road plagued by potholes - because it might damage their rubbish trucks.
Bosses fear the stretch of road - which is blighted by craters from this year's big freeze - could wreck the tyres of their hefty lorries.
They also claim binmen could be injured if a wheelie bin were to topple over on the uneven surface.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/03/article-1308716-0B067C5C000005DC-385_468x286.jpg Celyn Varnam, 78, whose bin may not be emptied because of potholes in his road in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, said: 'I did this job about 17 years ago and this road, even with its potholes, should pose no problem for the vans.'
Dozens of frail and elderly residents were forced to haul their heavy bins up to 100 yards to take them to an adjoining road to be collected.
Officials outlined their safety concerns in a letter to residents in Clarendon Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, where bins have been collected without incident for years.
Waste and recycling officer Beverly Scott wrote: 'The refuse collection crew in your area have advised me of a health and safety issue when trying to load your bins on to the lifters.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/03/article-1308716-07BA5D30000005DC-174_468x308.jpg Council bosses fear the stretch of road - which is blighted by craters from this year's big freeze - could wreck the tyres of the dustbin men's hefty lorries
'The surface condition of the unadopted part of Clarendon Road is preventing the bins from being safely manoeuvred for emptying, putting the operatives at risk.
'Additionally, there is a risk that the potholes could cause damage to the vehicle tyres.
'Would you please present your grey and green bins at either end of the unadopted ends of Clarendon Road.' Residents have had their wheelie bins collected from the private road every Monday without incident for years.
But on August 27 residents started receiving letters from Wiltshire Council telling them their bins would not be collected from outside their homes.
They were told to leave the bins at the end of their road where binmen from contractors Focsa could safely load them on to the truck.
But after further meetings, the residents were told to place them in a designated patch of land at the end of the road, where they would be collected.
Retired binman Celyn Varnam, 78, said: 'I did this job about 17 years ago and this road, even with its potholes, should pose no problem for the vans.
'To say the tyres could be damaged is ridiculous. The road surface has a few holes but is not that bad.
'The residents down here are all elderly and frail. It's utterly ludicrous to expect them all to haul their bins down the road.' Pensioner Cynthia Hole, who is just two inches taller than her bin, added: 'I'm not very keen to walk to the top of the road with my bin.
'It would be very difficult for me, especially in the winter months. It's just not on.'
Retired firefighter Jennifer Dickson, 63, said: 'We just want our bins collected from outside our homes again. It has always been this way.
'The population here is elderly and many are nor in the best of health.' A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: 'We understand residents' concerns and are meeting them with a representative from our contractor Focsa to resolve the situation.
'Focsa is concerned about the safety of their of their staff and the public, however will continue with the current collection arrangements while the matter is resolved.
'Unfortunately, as this is a private road, we are unable to use public funds to maintain it.'
In September last year, the same council was forced into an embarrassing u-turn after receiving a backlash from residents over plans to change weekly collections to fortnightly.
In August 2008, binmen in the same authority refused to collect bins if they were too far from the kerb.
And in June, the same council refused to to empty wheelie bins if binmen could not pull them using two fingers.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308716/Council-forces-pensioners-drag-wheelie-bins-100-yards--DUSTMEN-arent-injured-potholed-road.html#ixzz0yUjU0aSH
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 4:11 PM on 3rd September 2010
Comments (98) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308716/Council-forces-pensioners-drag-wheelie-bins-100-yards--DUSTMEN-arent-injured-potholed-road.html#comments)
Add to My Stories (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308716/Council-forces-pensioners-drag-wheelie-bins-100-yards--DUSTMEN-arent-injured-potholed-road.html)
A council has refused to collect bins from outside homes on a road plagued by potholes - because it might damage their rubbish trucks.
Bosses fear the stretch of road - which is blighted by craters from this year's big freeze - could wreck the tyres of their hefty lorries.
They also claim binmen could be injured if a wheelie bin were to topple over on the uneven surface.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/03/article-1308716-0B067C5C000005DC-385_468x286.jpg Celyn Varnam, 78, whose bin may not be emptied because of potholes in his road in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, said: 'I did this job about 17 years ago and this road, even with its potholes, should pose no problem for the vans.'
Dozens of frail and elderly residents were forced to haul their heavy bins up to 100 yards to take them to an adjoining road to be collected.
Officials outlined their safety concerns in a letter to residents in Clarendon Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, where bins have been collected without incident for years.
Waste and recycling officer Beverly Scott wrote: 'The refuse collection crew in your area have advised me of a health and safety issue when trying to load your bins on to the lifters.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/03/article-1308716-07BA5D30000005DC-174_468x308.jpg Council bosses fear the stretch of road - which is blighted by craters from this year's big freeze - could wreck the tyres of the dustbin men's hefty lorries
'The surface condition of the unadopted part of Clarendon Road is preventing the bins from being safely manoeuvred for emptying, putting the operatives at risk.
'Additionally, there is a risk that the potholes could cause damage to the vehicle tyres.
'Would you please present your grey and green bins at either end of the unadopted ends of Clarendon Road.' Residents have had their wheelie bins collected from the private road every Monday without incident for years.
But on August 27 residents started receiving letters from Wiltshire Council telling them their bins would not be collected from outside their homes.
They were told to leave the bins at the end of their road where binmen from contractors Focsa could safely load them on to the truck.
But after further meetings, the residents were told to place them in a designated patch of land at the end of the road, where they would be collected.
Retired binman Celyn Varnam, 78, said: 'I did this job about 17 years ago and this road, even with its potholes, should pose no problem for the vans.
'To say the tyres could be damaged is ridiculous. The road surface has a few holes but is not that bad.
'The residents down here are all elderly and frail. It's utterly ludicrous to expect them all to haul their bins down the road.' Pensioner Cynthia Hole, who is just two inches taller than her bin, added: 'I'm not very keen to walk to the top of the road with my bin.
'It would be very difficult for me, especially in the winter months. It's just not on.'
Retired firefighter Jennifer Dickson, 63, said: 'We just want our bins collected from outside our homes again. It has always been this way.
'The population here is elderly and many are nor in the best of health.' A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: 'We understand residents' concerns and are meeting them with a representative from our contractor Focsa to resolve the situation.
'Focsa is concerned about the safety of their of their staff and the public, however will continue with the current collection arrangements while the matter is resolved.
'Unfortunately, as this is a private road, we are unable to use public funds to maintain it.'
In September last year, the same council was forced into an embarrassing u-turn after receiving a backlash from residents over plans to change weekly collections to fortnightly.
In August 2008, binmen in the same authority refused to collect bins if they were too far from the kerb.
And in June, the same council refused to to empty wheelie bins if binmen could not pull them using two fingers.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308716/Council-forces-pensioners-drag-wheelie-bins-100-yards--DUSTMEN-arent-injured-potholed-road.html#ixzz0yUjU0aSH