The Ashfield area has been particularly severely hit and missed collections have been inevitable.

The unprecedented extended period of poor weather has caused all manner of difficulties.  The sub-zero temperatures has resulted in frozen air tanks and pipes and other working parts on collection vehicles, meaning that some vehicles have had to be taken out of service at times. 

When out undertaking collections the conditions have been too dangerous to attempt access to many streets around the district.  Even when access has been possible, many bins are buried in the thick snow and ice and there is no clear route for the bin to be wheeled to the highway.  This has resulted in some bins being emptied and others not within the same street.  The collection crews have also experienced difficulty applying the bins to the bin lifts because of the uneven ground caused by the snow and ice.

In an attempt to overcome some of the problems additional staff have been deployed from other sections within the Council to waste collection services, all in an attempt to maintain as near a normal service as possible.

Despite best efforts there will inevitably be residents who miss a collection and don’t have their bin emptied until the next scheduled collection.  In these circumstances up to 3 bags of side waste will be collected.

Garden waste and glass collections have been suspended until Monday 13th December at the earliest.