Bin collection bosses 'got it wrong' - Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood

“as it will be 4 weeks since domestic rubbish was collected will they pick up bags by the side of the bins?as i only have the one bin with 2 collections of rubbish also can i expect a deduduction of a weeks rubbish money from my astronomical council tax [live in a 2 bed terrace, pay £180 mth]”

“There was very little ice last Friday and approximately 2 days of snow in total. The binmen should have worked Saturday and Sunday last weekend as they have had so mcuh time off. We have had no collection since 18th and our refuse and reycling are full. We were lucky enough to have our food bins collected - so the one person who recycles food (me) is going to be alright, but everything else is overflowing. Town on Monday was a disgrace, rubbish everywhere because the wind had blown strongly and the bins were full. We are now told it will be another 2 weeks until our refuse is collected - or if we want we can take it to Swindon Road by ourselves which is not a viable option.

Unacceptable and I expect a partial council tax refund.”

“The binmen could easily have gone round last Friday - and seeing as they had been off for 3 weeks they could have worked Saturday and Sunday. The town centre on Monday evening was absolutely disgusting with rubbish blown everywhere because the binmen had not emptied the bins on Monday. And now we have to wait another 2 weeks for our refuse to be collected or am encouraged to take it to Swindon Village!. I will be expecting a refund on my council tax.

Yesterday we had our food bins emptied. Thanks very much. Recycling and refuse bins are full to bursting but hey at least the one person who recycles food waste (me) can carry on doing so.”

“A council spokeswoman said Ubico staff are now trying to collect the backlog as much as possible during scheduled rounds.

She added: "As Ubico is the council's service provider, the council cannot insist that they carry out operations which they consider to be unsafe." Ubico also suspended bin collections in the Cotswolds.

Ubico is a company wholly owned by both Cheltenham Borough and Cotswold District Councils so please stop pretending that it is a seperate company.”

“by AndyPrestbury

Wednesday, January 30 2013, 8:51AM
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"Ubico 'contracted in', joke,.. Beth Boughton the Ubico's waste and collection manager who is quoted in the article, used to have the same job title for CBC, the whole waste and recycling operation was just shifted into this new company. The same depots, the same staff, the same vehicles etc."
Must say i agree with your comments completly, very enlightening, perhaps Mr Martin Horwood, will now tell CBC to give themselves a telling off,”

“"As a resident you should not notice any changes to collection arrangements - the same workers are on the same streets performing the same duties." from http://tinyurl.com/a2783dx Tell us another one, CBC.”

“There was no excuse as the snow had gone last week! Have had to put up with paper recycling blowing all over the street. A lot of bins havn't now got their lids, probably because the locking lips are so flimsy they just break after a few times use. It was said the wagon driver's hours have been 'banked', if this is the case then why wasn't the rubbish collected last week? Just had our main bin & food waste bins emptied, does this mean they are going to come back to collect our paper recycling? somehow I doubt it!”

“Ubico 'contracted in', joke! Ubico is wholly owned by CBC and Cotswold DC, and never went through a tendering process to get the contract. The company is also managed by the councils. It is also planned that by April 2013 Tewkesbury BC will also become a shareholder in the company. With an independant company the councils could use it's contract as leverage to get a better service, even threatening to move suppliers, but as the councils own this company they do not have this option. Beth Boughton the Ubico's waste and collection manager who is quoted in the article used to have the same job title for CBC, the whole waste and recycling operation was just shifted into this new company. The same depots, the same staff, the same vehicles etc.”

“one day of snow and ice in the more built up areas and you cancel collections,employees sat at home willing to work, rubbish blowing down the street in the winds, overtime for the street cleaners overtime for pest control”