Stockton’s Conservative MP, Matt Vickers, has slammed the rollout of the Labour Council’s new waste collection system, describing the first day as “complete chaos” for local residents.
Stockton’s Labour Council today began its first waste collections under the new scheme, which requires residents to use six different types of bin - including household waste, food, plastic, glass, cardboard and garden waste. At the same time, weekly bin collections have been scrapped, despite residents paying some of the highest council tax in the country.
Major problems have already emerged with the council’s new fleet of bin lorries, with several vehicles reportedly out of action on the very first day. This has resulted in long working hours for bin men, with some forced to work late into the night to complete their rounds.
5,900 properties across Stockton failed to have their waste collected as planned today, with new collections not planned until Saturday.
Furthermore, residents have said that their carefully separated waste is being mixed together in collection wagons, making a mockery the entire system! The local MP has now written to the Chief Executive of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Mike Greene, demanding to know what the council will do the remedy the situation.
Stockton’s Conservative MP, Matt Vickers, said:
“Labour’s new waste and recycling scheme is utter chaos. There have been numerous reports of residents doing the right thing – taking the time to sort their waste – only to see it all mixed up and thrown into the same wagon. That makes a sham of the entire process!
“This isn’t the fault of our hardworking bin men. They are doing a tough job. It is the result of a ridiculous new scheme introduced by Stockton Labour.
“Local residents pay some of the highest council tax in the country - the least we can expect is that our waste and recycling are properly collected on a regular basis. Expecting people to juggle six different bins while scrapping weekly collections is complete madness.
“Having warned about the consequences when the council proposed this I have written to the Chief Executive of the Council to think again about their approach. It simply isn’t working for local residents or the bin men who work hard day in, day out.”
Matt Vickers has launched a survey of local residents to gather their views on the new scheme. Local people can take part by visiting mattvickers.co.uk/bins.
