Dear Sir,

May I explain to readers some history and to ask questions about the changes to whellie bin collections where Durham County Council environment department seem to believe it is acceptable to refuse, without consultation, to collect bins from the rear of some homes.

Refuse has always been taken from the rear of homes since the houses were built 56 years ago with metal bins and hot ashes caried on shoulders. There has never been any problem in all that time and indeed a great relationship between residents and refuse collectors has built up over the period.

I had a telephone conversation on 30th June with a member of the environment team informing me, as a matter of courtesy, that the current collection system was coming to an abrupt end. Councillors were informed and he had been told to inform myself as Chairman of ACORN Residents Association. My reply was that they would be well advised to circulate a letter informing residents of any changes and seek to consult people because any announcement would alarm, shock and anger people.

Nevertheless on Thursday 5th July a letter was posted through letterboxes informing residents that from the following day Friday 6th July there would no longer be a collection from the rear of properties. This communiqué resulted in instant reaction with residents having angry confrontations with refuse operatives in the streets.

Letters were written, emails were sent and telephone calls were made to DCC, County Councillors, Great Aycliffe Town Councillors and myself. Following a meeting between Councillor Mike Dixon and the Environment Department I was informed that whilst discussions were taking place normal collections would ensue. Based on this information word was passed on by mouth about these arrangements which then culminated in a mixture of two schemes. Some recycling waste was not collected and wound up being bagged and taken to the recycling centre to put into landfill .

As an affiliated member of Great Aycliffe Residents Association, Acorn were given room on the agenda of a Public meeting held at St Mary’s Church on Thursday 19th July to discuss other important matters affecting our community.

Speaker after speaker voiced concerns about the handover of bin removal previously carried out by Council operatives to residents who may be elderly, infirm or incapable of pulling bins to the nearest collection point. Does health and safety only concern Council operatives? What has suddenly changed after 56 years to warrant passing health and safety risk from the Bin Collectors to the public?

Friday 20th July began with an unannounced visit from no less than four council officials to my home asking me to accompany them on an inspection/survey of the alleys in my area where overgrowth had occurred and potholes were evident.

My evaluation which the safety officer seemed to agree with was that, rather than a full blown safety problem, it was more of a case of bad maintenance over a number of years.

QUESTIONS

1. Where are the Councillors who represent residents in this town who will be appearing shortly looking for re-election?

2. Just who exactly is responsible for the maintenance of these alleys and why have they not been maintained to a high enough standard to protect the public from harm let alone council operatives?

3. We have many private landlords in our area who don’t appear to care what state their properties are in as long as they are making money. How do we contact those owners and get them to accept responsibility?

Displayed below is a selection of comments posed over the last couple of weeks:

a) So there is risk to the bin men of awkward postures leading to possible muscular skeletal injuries, and crews have to pull the bins 80 metres. This work is now unilaterally, without consultation, imposed on residents, who without training or assistance take on that risk themselves? Who pays Council Tax to employ these bin men, in the first place?

b) The bins are pulled to the collection vehicle which causes an obstruction for other road users. This won’t change by forcing residents to bring their bins to the front edge of their properties and will result in a disability vehicle dropping off a kerb in an attempt to avoid these obstructions on the footpath. Mothers with children will also be forced to use the road with prams and wheelchairs.

c) As for other road users and the collection vehicle having to park on school crossings and traffic calming areas. How long have they been doing this without any problem so far? How does forcing residents, who may already be incapacitated in some way bring their bins to the front edge of their property resolve this particular aspect?

e) Bin Wagons should never park on school crossing areas. Do they think they are above the law? This situation is not changed by the residents bringing their bins to the edge of their properties this is dictatorial, being imposed without consultation by a public service funded by the public for which the public have not been consulted nor any risk assessment made on behalf of residents affected and reflects badly on Councillors and the Durham County Council, who allowed this to be imposed without a risk assessment on residents, in the first place.

Perhaps the Highways Department have solution for problems of parking. They have the means of sorting these things out and guess what? They work for the same organisation.

How many compensation claims were made by bin men?

Why no risk assessment on residents, instead of just transferring that risk from the bin men?

Presumably the Council is accepting the responsibility of risks to the residents and any legal costs?

What has Durham County Council done to maintain the alleyways to prevent dangers to bin men and residetns?

Durham County Highways, livin, and all County Councillors would appear to be unaware that these problems exist, I would urge all residents in the area to make sure that hedges and other growth are not impeding access to alleys and to report faults. Thank you for being such a great community and speaking out against what appears to be a great injustice. We will be seeking active support from Great Aycliffe Residents Association, Sedgefield Residents Federation, County Durham Residents Association and other formal bodies.

Ken Robson (Chair)

Aycliffe Central Open Residents Network

Editor: Great Aycliffe Residents’ Association GARA fully back and endorse what Ken Robson Chairman of ACORN and the many residents have queried. it was a big mistake not to consult residents on this issue. Passing Health & Safety risks to the public totally destroys the new policy. We await a satisfactory response from our elected representatives.