Clean record under threat as binmen make a mess

Jo Cave

01 May 2008

HEAPS of rubbish scattered through the streets by sloppy binmen could soil Warwick District's reputation as one of the region's cleanest areas.
Figures released this week reveal just one in 25 roads in the district was considered dirty in 2007 - but the new wheelie bin scheme could put an end to such a shining record.
Papers, plastics and packaging littering the kerb have become a common sight on collection day as contractors Sita rush to complete their rounds.
Emergency talks were held at Warwick District Council yesterday (Wednesday) between chief executive Chris Elliot, waste manager Jackie Webb and Sita representatives to try to resolve the messy situation.
Mullard Drive resident Joanna Lapworth contacted the Observer in disgust after seeing the state of her street on collection day.
She said: "While I understand that they are busy people and the weather has not been ideal today, I still believe they shouldn’t leave our nice street looking like this after we spend time recycling like they asked."
Richard Brooker of Warwick District Council said they recognised there was a problem on certain rounds and Sita were being instructed to sort it.
A Sita spokesman said: "Since the new service started at the beginning of April our recycling and refuse crews and the management team have been working hard to get used to new routines and rounds. Consequently, in some areas we have encountered a few teething problems. We have now identified these and are working with both our crews and our client, Warwick District Council, to resolve them.
"The response of Warwick residents to the new service has been tremendous and we are therefore working hard to ensure that these initial problems are resolved quickly."
Warwick District drew with Solihull in sixth place in the clean streets rankings released by workers' union GMB. The sparkliest town in the West Midlands is Oswestry in Shropshire where just 1.8 per cent of streets were judged to be below acceptable standards, with neighbouring Stratford the second best. The dirtiest areas are Nuneaton and Bedworth, Coventry and Birmingham.

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