Mansfield resident's 'rancid rubbish' complaints over missed collections

A Mansfield resident is raising a stink over ‘rancid rubbish’ and obstruction by bins on a narrow street after several refuse collections were missed.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Bus driver Eric Frank Davey, 54, says he is one of the 20 residents on Fielden Avenue, Bull Farm, who is “fed-up” with the area’s bin issues.

He said: “Out of about 10 times when our bins were supposed to have been collected by the council they have failed at least seven or eight times. It is our council taxes that pay for the service.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"A week last Thursday they failed again to collect the green bin general waste. The blue bins, that should have been collected the previous Thursday, were still sitting there! Myself and neighbours contacted the council but are just getting excuses and no resolution. I was told a supervisor would ring back, but they still haven’t.”

Rancid rubbish left in the bin - Eric Davey JonesRancid rubbish left in the bin - Eric Davey Jones
Rancid rubbish left in the bin - Eric Davey Jones

He added: "The wind blew items from overflowing recycling bins all over my drive and my neighbours' gardens. There’s a public health issue here - the council insist that general waste can sit in a bin for up to two weeks but WHO guidelines are weekly for temperate climates. There is an obstruction issue too, the pavements have had bins in the way for 10 days.

"Their excuse seems to be 'the bin lorry could not get down your street,' but our street is not that long, it is a cul-de-sac and it is very narrow, but wheeled bins could be moved to the end of the street.

“We are all just fed of it. The council has a civic duty to provide waste services, rectify omissions and faults as soon as reasonably practical. A bin missed one day should move up the priority list for each day it remains uncollected. They have a responsibility to respond to complaints in a timely fashion and to honour when they commit to a reply.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“They also have a duty to the safety of residents, which includes collecting waste before it gets rancid, in the hot weather, and reporting obstructions to the highway immediately before it becomes a safety issue.”

Eric Frank Davey - who has complained at council bin collection in Mansfield - Picture: Eric Frank DaveyEric Frank Davey - who has complained at council bin collection in Mansfield - Picture: Eric Frank Davey
Eric Frank Davey - who has complained at council bin collection in Mansfield - Picture: Eric Frank Davey

Sarah Troman, Head of Neighbourhoods, at Mansfield District Council said: “We are aware of ongoing issues on this extremely narrow street due to parked cars. There has been a marked increase in the number of people who are working from home and as a result there is an increase in the number of vehicles that are parked on streets during our rounds.

“Our bin lorries weigh 26 tonnes and are 42 feet in length and our professionally trained and qualified drivers have the experience to know whether a manoeuvre is safe to carry out. It is not just vehicles that they need to be aware of but the immediate surroundings have to be taken into account to be able to safely reverse the vehicle into a narrow space.

“When we are unable to empty bins, we endeavour to return as soon as possible and these bins were emptied within a few days. Unfortunately, we are currently experiencing an unprecedented strain on our resources and are not always able to return as quickly as we would like.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We would urge residents to ensure they park considerately on residential streets to ensure large vehicles, including emergency vehicles, can gain access at all times.

“This issue has only been happening since lockdown so will hopefully improve as more people return to work. We will continue to monitor the situation and thank residents for their patience.”