Refuse collection rubbished, Teesdale Mercury

Refuse collection rubbished

May 29, 2002

THE refuse collection and vehicle management services at Teesdale District Council are fair,





but have poor prospects for improvement, an independent report has said.

The Audit Commission gave the service one star, because although most local people are satisfied with it, only four per cent of waste is recycled and refuse collection is expensive compared to other local councils.

The council’s refuse collection service provides a weekly, black sack collection service to 11,300 local residents and 250 commercial properties. In 2001/02, the budget for this service was £527,858. It also collects clinical waste and bulky items, and looks after litterbins and the village skip service.

The vehicle management service, which includes servicing and repairs, is expected to cost £82,000 in 2001/02.

Commissioning inspector, Pat Thynne, said local people had not been consulted enough. “The council must work more closely with local people to ensure they are aware of new initiatives such as the kerbside wheeled bin collection system, as well as wider concerns such as the government’s recycling targets,” he added.

Strengths identified were:

• High levels of local satisfaction with the domestic waste collection service; good access to council services; an out-of-hours service that responds to emergencies.

• Strategic aims for the refuse service reflect both national and regional targets for recycling and waste minimisation.

• The council’s recently adopted waste management plan supports the countywide strategy for dealing with waste.

The “many” weaknesses found included:

• No service standards which residents can use to measure performance.

• Lack of consultation on the waste management plan, which clearly does not address local issues. Insufficient emphasis on waste minimisation.

• The size, range and age of the vehicle fleet compromise the cost-effectiveness of vehicle maintenance.

Recommendations include:

• Urgently telling local people about the new kerbside wheeled bin collection and the council’s responsibilities to meet recycling and waste minimisation targets.

• Urgently developing a project plan for putting in place the new refuse collection system, ensuring that local people have their say, and setting achievable targets for each stage of the process.

• Improving value for money and cost effectiveness.

Teesdale District Council said it was surprised at the findings. Coun Newton Wood said: “It seems strange that a service, which in a recent independent poll was rated as very good by 87% of the population, can be judged as only ‘fair’.”

Director of community services, Peter Slack, said: “The council is developing partnership arrangements designed, not only to meet, but surpass recycling targets.”

He added that public roadshows about the wheelie bins have now been arranged.