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These councils have the worst records for bin collections

More than 1.8m complaints have been made about bins in the past year, a BBC FOI request has revealed. Elmbridge Borough Council, in Surrey, is the worst. (PA)
More than 1.8m complaints have been made about bins in the past year, a BBC FOI request has revealed. Elmbridge Borough Council, in Surrey, is the worst. (PA)

More than 1.8 million complaints about rubbish not being collected from homes were made to UK councils in 2018, it has been reported.

An average of 4,500 complaints were made to councils every day last year, according to figures gathered by the BBC.

The worst performing council was Elmbridge Borough Council, in Surrey, with 411 complaints per 1,000 households.

It was closely followed by Surrey Heath with 373 complaints per 1,000 households, Wealden with 303 per 1,000, Bath and North East Somerset with 292 and Broxtowe with 289.

Elmbridge Borough Council blamed an increase in warm waste and a shortage of temporary drivers which led to 3,478 missed collections last summer. Stock image. (PA)
Elmbridge Borough Council blamed an increase in warm waste and a shortage of temporary drivers which led to 3,478 missed collections last summer. Stock image. (PA)

Last year Elmbridge Borough Council appointed Amey as an outside contractor, according to Get Surrey, but within the companies first month there were 3,478 missed bin collections – which the council said was due to the warm weather creating more garden waste, increasing rubbish volumes, and a lack of temporary drivers.

Nationally, the number of complaints is said to be up nearly a third on comparable data from 2014.

The Local Government Association (LGA) said that the figures actually show that 99.8% of bin collections were completed without complaint in 2018.

Councils carry out around 821 million waste collections from households every year, the association said.

However the LGA also highlighted cuts to budgets, telling the BBC: “Between 2010 and 2020, councils will have lost almost 60p out of every £1 the Government had provided for services and councils in England face an overall funding gap of £8 billion by 2025.”

The BBC said its analysis of Government data suggests real-terms spending on waste collection by councils fell to £888 million in 2017/18, compared with £1 billion in 2010/11.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said authorities will receive £1 billion extra in funding in the coming year.

“We want councils to respond to the wishes of local people, many of whom want to see bin collections as frequently as possible,” a spokeswoman told the BBC.

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