Shambolic recycling service means unlikely Monday collections

22/05/2026 @ 04:29

If Monday is your bin collection day, there is a good chance that they won't be going anywhere with Powys County Council admitting that it just can’t get the staff to work despite offering incentives.

The latest shambolic chapter in what has been a terrible year for the service was confirmed by angry Welshpool county councillor Graham Breeze who pleaded “don’t shoot the messenger”.

Cllr Breeze shared the information that had been sent to him by the underfire department, and it’s not an ideal first week in the job for another Welshpool councillor, Richard Church, who has been given the task of turning the service around.

“I’m as unhappy with the situation as anyone,” said Cllr Breeze, who shared the following that he received:

“For Monday Bank Holiday, our intention is to carry out waste and recycling collections as scheduled. However, as is typical during Bank Holiday periods, some disruption is likely, and there is an increased risk of missed collections on certain routes.

“Final confirmation of affected routes will be published on the council’s website: www.powys.gov.uk/binday and shared via the HTR Facebook page on Monday morning.

“We encourage residents to check these channels before reporting a missed collection.

“As with previous Bank Holidays, enhanced working arrangements have been offered to waste and recycling crews. However, due to contractual arrangements, Bank Holiday working remains voluntary and we cannot require staff to work on these days.

“As a result, alongside the areas already identified, there remains a risk of additional short-notice staff absences, which could affect other rounds on the day. Despite careful planning, this means that some collections may not be completed as scheduled.”

Residents are advised that if a collection has not taken place by 5pm, they should check the online bin day checker for updates on when they will return.

“We will make every effort to catch up on missed collections during the following week, using available resources and capacity. Additional recycling will be accepted, provided it is separated into bags and presented alongside the usual boxes on the next collection day.”

The areas likely to be impacted on Monday are:

Red Lane, Welshpool

Welshpool Town

Oldford Rise, Welshpool

High Street and Severn Road, Welshpool

Red Bank, Welshpool

Brynfa Avenue, Welshpool

Borfa Green, Welshpool

Brookfield Road, Welshpool

Gungrog Hill, Welshpool

Guilsfield

Forden