‘Rubbish’ Wellingborough bin service trashed by councillor

Residents across parts of Wellingborough and its villages have been getting a ‘rubbish service’ with collections delayed for weeks at a time.

Cllr Martin Griffiths (Ind, Irchester) has been contacted by dozens of constituents from across his ward after household bins were left unemptied.

North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) has apologised for any inconvenience caused to those affected and have reassured residents that bins will be collected.

Wellingborough area bin collections had been carried out by Wellingborough Norse but their ten-year stint of managing waste services ended on April 1, 2022, and taken ‘in-house’ by NNC.

Cllr Griffiths said: “It’s been an ongoing problem all year but more so since the contract was taken back in-house. Norse weren’t brilliant, but it’s got a lot worse.

"Not only are we getting a rubbish service, we are not getting a proper service at the moment, it’s at a time when we are being asked to pay for garden waste. We had a good service, not faultless, under Norse – now it’s diabolical.

"Dozens and dozens of people have contacted me and taken to social media and all the parish councils have had their ears bent.

“Services in Wollaston and Strixton were affected, then Grendon, Bozeat, Irchester and parts of Wellingborough. Now there are issues in Great Doddington, Earls Barton. It can be any colour bin missed.”

Cllr Graham Lawman, NNC’s executive member for highways, travel and assets, said they have suffered from staff shortages but that they have new drivers who are currently being trained.

He said: “Due to limited crew numbers, some collections in our Wellingborough area have been delayed.

“This is mainly due to staff sickness but also a shortage of HGV drivers, which is a national issue.

“Following a concerted recruitment campaign, we have welcomed new drivers to the team who are currently going through training and this will greatly help in providing a more reliable service.

"Vacancies for refuse and recycling loaders are also currently being advertised and, again, once these positions have been filled should alleviate some of the service pressures in the Wellingborough area.

“In the short-term, we have been reducing the effects of the crew shortage by utilising our crews from across north Northamptonshire to support collections in Wellingborough.”

If you live in the Wellingborough area and your street’s bins haven’t been collected by 6pm, crews will return by the following Monday at the latest to catch up. Residents should leave bins out including on Saturdays.

Cllr Griffiths added: “The binmen work so hard. It’s a horrible smelly job. They carried on during Covid and now it’s gone belly up. I feel sorry for them. It’s not their fault, it’s a management problem.”

This week, a last-gasp attempt to get the controversial £40 garden waste charge reversed was launched by disgruntled NNC members.

Last month, despite a tidal wave of local opposition, NNC’s executive went ahead with plans to charge a £40 annual fee for garden waste collection.

For missed bins updates go to www.northnorthants.gov.uk/missedbins.