Village residents claim council has not collected bins for 10 weeks

Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter

A village’s residents have reported waiting 10 weeks to have their black bins collected by their county council.

The reports from Gronant residents are the latest in a run of complaints over delayed collections since Flintshire County Council introduced three-week bin collections in April.

Complaints

David Wilson, 76 and Don Layfield, 62 both live just off Mostyn Road. Don lives in a bungalow next to Dunkason Caravan Park while David is a permanent year-round resident of the park.

Both pay their council tax and say they never had a problem with waste collections until this year.

“I’ve been living here for 40 years,” said David. “The campsite has its own arrangement for waste collection but as a permanent resident and council tax payer my bins have always been collected by Flintshire County Council.

“But the last time the bins were taken was 10 weeks ago now. There are flies and maggots in them and the bin lorries have just driven past the end of the road.

“I’ve called every day to complain and been promised that the team would come out within three days, then within 10 days,  then within 20 days, I’m still waiting.

“They collect the recycling fine but the black bin waste, no chance.”

Solution

Don has endured the same problem but claims he was offered a solution.

“One time when I complained about this situation I was told I could put the bags in my car and drive them to the nearest household recycling centre,” he said.

“Who wants that in their car? Bin bags full of maggots and god knows what. It’s been the warmest months of the year and the rubbish has just been left.

“People walking past have started to complain about the flies now, it’s becoming too much.

“The council has changed to three weekly collections, that’s fine, we just want our bins to be collected when they say they will.”

Flintshire Council was approached for comment.