An independent councillor has urged the Greens to get a grip on the rubbish, recycling and garden waste collection backlog.
Peter Atkinson, independent councillor for North Portslade, has pleaded with the council’s current Green administration to intervene and show leadership with the current problems that the Cityclean service is experiencing.
Residents in North Portslade were suffering from missed refuse and recycling collections, he said, and a garden waste service that hasn’t emptied the brown bins for months.
Also weeds had made some streets dangerous and unsightly, he added, saying that they had become so bad that it had made the national news.
Councillor Atkinson said: “It is just completely unacceptable and residents in some roads in North Portslade are at their wits end not knowing when the recycling, rubbish or garden waste will actually be collected.
“And to cap it all we now have the threat of a strike by Cityclean staff looming. Something is seriously wrong.
“As councillors, we’ve been told that there are problems with trucks, with recruiting staff, with Brexit, with covid and with staff sickness … the list goes on.
“But no mention of a solution? The chief executive and the council leader need to communicate directly to residents and councillors on exactly what the problems are and what they are doing about them. I’m continually having to chase people up and often just don’t a reply to emails.
“Two roads, Drove Crescent and Stonery Close, have only had two recycling collections in three months. This is apparently down to the size of the recycling truck but councillors were promised a smaller truck over a year ago.
“Residents in other roads say that they are having to clear maggots out of bins where the refuse hasn’t been collected or that rats are appearing where bags are ripped open as bins fill up, uncollected.”
“The Cityclean managers are doing their best with limited options and resources, so I’m now calling for more energy and resources to be focused on resolving the issues.
“It’s just so frustrating – and managers and staff must be upset and angry at not being able to provide an efficient service but this cannot go on.
“It’s simply unfair on residents who pay their council tax and expect basic services like those provided by Cityclean to function properly.
“I’m also aware, at least on an anecdotal basis, that there are serious problems with Cityclean services elsewhere in the city.”
Councillor Atkinson said that he had contacted council leader Phélim Mac Cafferty and the chair of the council’s environment committee, Amy Healey.
He said that he had pleaded with them to intervene and work with the other political parties and the unions to get to the bottom of the problem and agree a way forward.
Agree with him.
The Greens should all resign and Brighton be put under special measures.
We need adults back in the room please.
Excellent comment. People have had enough of incapability and incompetence from the Green Party
Good luck with getting a response from the Greens! They have managed to take levels of ineptitude to a new high. Too busy trying to force through their dogma onto the city.