Route changes blamed for recycling shambles

Frustrated residents are being told that the new routes for bin collections are behind the current shambolic situation regarding collections.

Householders across the Welshpool area have taken to social media to take out their frustrations, with bins staying uncollected for days on end.

Their frustrations are compounded by the dreadful state of our local roads following the harsh winter and at a time when another mighty council tax rise has hit us all in the pocket this month.

But under-fire Powys County Council has explained the situation this morning to our readers.

A spokesperson said: “There have been issues with the new collection rounds which was to be expected from such a large-scale change to all the routes.

“We have been honest in our publicity that we did expect some initial issues and have asked that residents do bear with us whilst the routes settle down. Crews will not be used to these routes which does mean that in some instances it will take some time until they are able to complete them within the working day.

“There will also be more missed properties to begin with due to unfamiliarity with the rounds. Whilst extensive modelling has taken place, it is not possible to try out new rounds in a real-world situation until they are actually implemented. We are continually reviewing the new routes and will make adjustments, as required.

“In most cases, the collections are being completed in the following days so that residents do not have to wait too long between collections.

“Unfortunately, routes do need to be optimised periodically due to changes in the composition of waste and recycling, additional properties, updates to collection vehicles, and changes in bulking locations.

“This is common to all local authorities and there will always be some issues when this happens. We do understand that this is an inconvenience for residents and apologise for this.

“We are working very hard to resolve all the issues as quickly as possible, but do ask for patience as we go through this process. In the meantime, we would ask that residents check the bin collection day facility on our website which is kept up to date daily with any changes to collections.”