A REVIEW of the new waste collection service in Flintshire will begin at the end of the month.
An investigation which had already been scheduled to start on March 21 was brought forward by council bosses following a notice of motion tabled by opposition Labour councillors demanding an “immediate inquiry”.
Councillors Aaron Shotton, Bernie Attridge and Chris Bithell said problems with the service have led to “rubbish strewn streets”.
Mold councillor Bithell told a full council meeting yesterday: “It is a total embarrassment for me and members of this council.
“We recognise that there are teething problems but 12 weeks have passed now. Something is afoot here.”
Broughton councillor David McFarlane added: “We have gone beyond teething problems. It’s canal work now.”
Flintshire Council introduced a managed weekly collection service to all households at the start of November.
Under the new scheme recycled waste is collected on a weekly basis and black sack waste is collected fortnightly.
Cllr Carolyn Cattermoul said flat-dwellers in her Mold West ward were having the most problems.
“The information given to people living in these flats has been dreadful,” she said.
“For them this has been an absolute nightmare.”
Changes to rubbish collections prompted 5,000 calls to the council in the first week alone and between 3,000 and 4,000 during the second.
The calls ranged from complaints to questions about the new service and requests for more recycling containers.
Connah’s Quay councillor Attridge said: “My Christmas was ruined because of the amount of phone calls I had about bins.”
Shotton councillor Ann Minshull said: “The streets of Shotton have never been so dirty. As soon as rubbish is cleared it’s back again the next day.”
Holywell East councillor Robin Baker said the call for an urgent inquiry was a “pointless exercise” because a review was already in place. “It’s like asking the sun to come up in the morning.”
Cllr Bithell replied: “The sun coming up in the morning is guaranteed but whether these problems will be resolved is another matter. There are far too many people in the county not getting the service for which they pay and deserve.”
A review of the service will begin about four weeks from today.