Cllr John Clare tells the story as it unfolded:

BACKGROUND

When the new Unitary Council was set up in 2009, it merged seven District Councils, each with their own bin fleets, rounds, rules etc. Since 2012, 7,200 new houses have been built, and some knocked down. The result was that the bin rounds had become inefficient, and needed “rebalancing” so that all crews have a manageable workload.

South Durham was the last area of the County to be reorganised and, in early September, 55,000 letters were sent out to affected householders. The changeover was also published in the local press, in the Durham County News, and on the social media & Durham County Council website. DCC recycling assistants also went round knocking doors reminding residents.

Many people have told me they did not receive a letter, and DCC is investigating, but there was no mass-failure of communication. To be fair to residents, the letter arrived in a pile of junk mail addressed to ‘The Occupier’. And I have to admit that – although I read that the collection DAY had not changed – I failed to notice that the BIN had!

CONFUSION FRIDAY

Thus, last Friday, the bin lorries – which were tasked to collect our Domestic Waste as per the new schedule – drove past lines of people’s Recycling bins. I spent much of Friday fielding complaints and phoning DCC, and DCC that afternoon issued a tweet promising extra collections “on Saturday and Monday”.

SORT IT SATURDAY

On Saturday morning I contacted the Waste Operations Manager direct. He told me that DCC was sending out a dozen bin lorries to collect any domestic waste bins that had not been presented on Friday, and also any recycling bins that had been presented in error. What he did not tell me was that he, too, was out driving a lorry! I also received a number of comments from residents about how particularly helpful the men were.

SET UP SUNDAY and MOP-UP MONDAY

At 10:30am on Sunday, I emailed the Head of Direct Services to ask what was planned for Monday. By 2pm it had been decided to keep faith with the tweeted promise, and a limited number of bin rounds were organised (though with no promised guarantee to visit *every* street). What amazed me was that this was arranged on a weekend, for a Monday (when Waste Services don’t work).

REFLECTION

We are programmed always to rail against ‘the Council’. But, given that DCC is a massive organisation which had taken a number of steps to inform people, do you not agree that – when the situation occurred – the Council showed amazing accessibility, flexibility and responsiveness?

I have thanked the Waste Services staff.

As you know, the government has cut £210,000,000 a year from its grants to the Council, and will have to cut another £37,000,000 by 2020. DCC is trying to save money from the budget with as little damage as possible to front line services … and this rationalisation of bin routes was one way to try to do so. So my view is that – if it helps us to keep our Neighbourhood Warden Service and the current level of Winter Maintenance etc. – then it was worth the cost of one weekend of confusion.

As for the future, people should confirm their new collection details online by entering their house number and postcode into the ‘My Durham’ section of http://www.durham.gov.uk/MyDurham, or by calling 03000 261000.