Outrage over council's rubbish skips move

9:53pm Sunday 11th May 2008

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By Tom Moseley »

A COUNCIL has sparked outrage by placing skips outside schools in Blackburn and Darwen a bid to beat the effects of a binmen strike.

Residents have complained that bags of rotting rubbish have been left in the skips to fester as temperatures soared to 75 degrees over the weekend.

And rogue tippers have also been using the large metal containers to dump household junk, including carpets, tyres and old electrical equipment.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has placed 17 skips across the borough - including outside six schools - to try to combat the large amount of uncollected waste which has mounted up since workers went on strike last week.

They include St Aidan's Primary School, Mill Hill, just days after it was visited by Prince William.

The skips were due to be removed tomorrow but may return later in the week as binmen prepare to strike again over pay on Thursday and Friday.

The move has been branded as "disgusting" by opposition politicians.

Labour leader Coun Kate Hollern said: "I can't believe we are putting skips outside schools. Would you want your child to turn up to school with a skip full of rotting food or nappies outside?

"With this hot weather it will be disgusting."

Residents are also outraged at the skips being placed outside their houses, fearing that items that have been abandoned at the side of them will not be removed when they are eventually taken away, because street cleaners are also taking strike action.

Carole Peel, 46, of Hayes Lane, has had a skip placed at the side of her gable end house.

She said: "It was only put there on Saturday and already it's revolting. People have dumped all sorts in that should have been taken to the tip, and because of that the proper rubbish has been left at the side so rats can get at it."

She added: "The skip collectors aren't going to take stuff that's not inside it - so who will clean up the mess?"

Another resident, who did not want tob enamed, said: "The forecast for this weekend and the most of next week was for temperatures of 23 degrees and the rubbish is just baking in the weather. I think environmental health will have a lot to say about the measures in place to dispose of rubbish."

The other schools involved are Lammark Primary School, Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School, St Silas Road, Lower Darwen Primary School, Pleckgate High School and The Redeemer Primary School, Ewood.

Coun Alan Cottam said that the skips had been placed in central locations for ease of use. He added: "The officers will have chosen locations that are safe to use and have enough room around them so that people can stop their cars and load the rubbish in without any danger.

"If those places happen to be near schools it is a coincidental."

Thousands of residents did not have their bin emptied as a result of the first two-day walkout last week.

Members of the Unite union have confirmed more strikes by bin men, street cleaners and gardeners will take place this week in the ongoing row over changes to town hall salaries.

Council bosses say they intend to carry out "as many collections as possible" during the binmen's strike. As well as the skips, the council is using a private firm to collect rubbish from homes hit by the strike over pay.

The council has advised people to put their bins out as normal on their collection date after employing Blackburn-based Neale's Waste Management to help out.

A spokesman said: "There is further planned industrial action next week but talks are continuing with the unions and it is our intention to try and complete as many collections as possible."

Recycling collections will carry on as normal.

Meanwhile, a freelance binman is hoping to cash in on the protest by offering to take people's bins away for a fee.

John Murray, of Dominica Avenue, Lower Darwen, has bought his own bin wagon and, trading as "Bin and Gone," charges £3 to empty a wheelie bin.

The 45-year-old has been delivering leaflets to houses which have not had bins emptied because of the walkout.

He said: "I am quite happy. I support the workers in what they are doing but at the same time people want their bins emptied."

Union bosses say when workers are on duty they will work to rule', meaning no extra bin collections for people missed out during the strike.