Powys Council put on the spot over recycling shambles

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

A senior councillor has asked a raft of questions to Powys Council chiefs on staffing issues in the department that collects rubbish and recycling and deals with road maintenance.

In recent weeks, residents across the county have suffered delays to their rubbish and recycling collections following the implementation of new collection routes from March 1.

The council’s explanation is that staff need to get used to the new collection routes, which had not been tested before the changes came into force.

While the issues seem to have been rectified by the council, with more bank holidays on the horizon, some residents are concerned that recycling and rubbish will be left uncollected on the kerbside again.

Chairman of the council’s Planning Committee, Cllr Gareth D Jones (Powys Independents – Llanfair Caereinion and Llanerfyl), said that the Highways, Transport and Recycling portfolio “sits very much at the front line” and tends to bear the brunt of criticism from residents.

Cllr Jones said: “Issues such as school transport, bus routes, potholes, and the overall condition of our roads are receiving an unprecedented level of attention across the county.

“In addition, waste and recycling services have come under significant scrutiny following missed collections in communities ranging from Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa in the north to Llanfihangel Nant Bran in the south.

“We fully recognise that our staff are our greatest asset and that they continue to operate under considerable pressure in often challenging circumstances.

“It is important that, alongside service improvement, we understand and support the wellbeing of our workforce.”

Cllr Jones asks how many staff are currently absent due to work-related stress in the Highways, Transport and Recycling department, and asks for the breakdown to be given separately across the three service areas.

He also asks how many staff across the three areas have been off work with work-related stress over the past 12 months.

Cllr Jones also wants to know what the job vacancy levels are across the three areas, adding: “What additional measures are currently in place or planned to support staff wellbeing and resilience in the following areas: Highways, Recycling and Transport?”

Under the rules, the head of Highways, Transport and Recycling, John Forsey, will be expected to provide an answer soon.

A spokesman for Powys Council said: “As part of this process, a response will be issued and published within 10 working days.”