News from Sheffield Labour

Sheffield’s Lib Dems leave Beighton’s blue bins out in the cold

Labour Councillor Ian Saunders (Sheffield, Beighton) called on the City Council and Veolia to ensure that Beighton’s blue bins were emptied as quickly as possible.

Beighton’s blue bins should have been emptied on February 6th. That was not possible because of the snow. The Council’s website then advised Beighton residents that the bins would be emptied on Friday February 13th or Saturday February 14th. They weren’t.

Now it appears that the bins may not be emptied until March.

Councillor Ian Saunders said today:

“Nobody is complaining about the fact that, because of the snow, the bins weren’t emptied on February 6th.

“However, the Council then promised that the bins would be emptied a week later. Without any notice, that promise was broken.

“I rang the Council’s call-centre late on February 13th, only to be told that the Council and Veolia had decided not to collect them at all this month and that they would be collected in March.

“I contacted the responsible Cabinet member (Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed) five days ago – and have sent a reminder since – and I still haven’t got a response.

“This is simply unacceptable.

“Beighton residents want their overflowing blue bins emptied now as they were promised. They are already being forced to put paper, which should be recycled, into their black bins.

“As one resident said to me: ‘The LibDem promise to increase recycling isn’t worth the paper it was written on.’

“Residents want to know:

* When are the blue bins now going to be emptied?
* Why was the promise to empty the blue bins a week later broken without any notice or even any attempt to advise Beighton people?
* Who took that decision?
* Who in the City Council agreed to relax the contract conditions with Veolia?
* Who is benefiting financially from this relaxation of the contract – the City Council or Veolia?
* Why can’t the Cabinet member be bothered to take their questions seriously and respond promptly?
* What is the estimate of the amount of paper that should have been recycled and is now going to be incinerated?

“Beighton residents are entitled to have prompt answers to those questions.”

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