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Ribble Valley Council asks widow, 79, to take bin bags half a mile

8:59pm Thursday 5th June 2008

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A FRAIL pensioner has been left to walk half-a-mile along an uneven, winding lane to put out her bins after being told binmen couldn't collect it.

Ribble Valley's council leader and MP have now pledged to find a solution for June Kay, of Rod Hill, Bolton-by-Bowland, who is just two weeks from her 80th birthday.

She and neighbour Harry Johnson, 60, received letters from the council telling them that new bin lorries would be unable to make it up the lane, and rubbish would have to be left at a collection point.

That means a walk of almost half a mile, taking in cattle grids and uneven surfaces, carrying two weeks' worth of household rubbish.

Ribble Valley Council said the changes were to accommodate new, bigger bin lorries brought in to deal with recycling.

Widow Mrs Kay said: "I can just about walk down to the end of the drive, but there's no way I could do it carrying something.

"Everything is unadopted up here - we have to pay for our own road and sewer repairs, so the only service we get from the council is having our bins emptied."

Mr Johnson said: "They are just asking the impossible - between Jean and me, we pay more than £4,000 a year in council tax.

"The Ribble Valley is renowned for its beauty, but with this policy we will have collections of rubbish at the end of every lane, and it will look awful."

MP Nigel Evans said: "Stalinist, bureaucratic adherence to the rules will never be allowed to defeat flexibility and common sense during the changes to the refuse system in the Ribble Valley.

"This is a new system being introduced in an incredibly diverse area, and the council, which is there to serve the public, should ensure that they plan for all homes in the borough."

Deputy council leader Richard Sherras said: "We will make sure we talk to these people and see whether we can come to a suitable arrangement.

"There are a lot of people we have asked to walk down to the end of their drives, because we have got to have longer wagons to accommodate the recycling.

"This is not about saving money - we are spending more to bring in this system, but we face heavy fines if we do not recycle.

"Ninety-seven per cent of people are happy with the service."

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Your Say YourLancashire Telegraph

frank, great harwood says...
9:17pm Thu 5 Jun 08

councils and common sense, there's no chance of that.they're to busy dotting every i and crossing every t.

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removals R me, my front room says...
12:16am Fri 6 Jun 08

just hire a digger for £100 dig a big hole on your own land and throw your rubbish in it, if the council moan tell em to empty your bin.

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Judith Halliwell, Warwickshire says...
8:12am Fri 6 Jun 08

I had the same problem with Warwick District Council in April when they brought in new collection arrangements. I have had my service restored, and I think that this lady and gentleman should have their service restored also. Councils have a duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to collect household waste from premises. They have been doing this for these people in the 18 years since the Act was passed. The Act says that they can refuse to collect from premises which are remote or inaccessible. It seems that the Council has made these properties inaccessible by buying the wrong collection vehicles. I would argue with the Ribble Valley Borough Council that they are at fault, and they should restore the previous service. Many Councils are refusing to collect from private roads and drives, but it is purely a cost-cutting execise as far as I can see.

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PiersD, Hexham says...
9:53am Fri 6 Jun 08

Mrs Kay needs to request for the local council to perform a health and safety assessment on wheeling the bin from the house to the lane end. Our local council collects rubbish from our house after assessing a resident in a neighbouring property. I am not aware of all the facts of the health and safety assessment that was carried out. However, it is my understanding that should Mrs Kay have an accident while taking the wheelie bin to the lane end, she will be able to seek financial compensation from the council.

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The Dustman, Hertfordshire says...
1:56pm Fri 6 Jun 08

These problems with local councils getting tough on residents is getting far to common these days.
Mrs Kay should be entitled to an assisted collection.
Have Ribble Valley Council never heard of a 3 ton dustcart? we have 2 of these that are used for assisted collections in remote areas of our borough. We also use slimline 26 ton dustcarts that can get around the problem of narrow lanes and tracks. As for the collection service they offer, a blue wheelie bin collected once a fortnight? surely the name of the game is to recycle as much as possible and as often as possible? We collect recyclable items every week, we have 12 trucks on this collecting over 300 tons of recyclable waste every week, inc paper, plastic, cans and glass and green waste including cardboard.
They need to get with the times and start using the local residents council tax to improve their service, not line their own pockets. May be they should consider looking at how other councils do things.

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Lauren, Lancashire says...
11:30pm Fri 6 Jun 08

It's a shame that a mountain has been made out of a molehill. I believe the Ribble Valley has an assistance list which she could have joined. Everybody should embrace the idea of recycling, afterall, its the future we should be thinking about.

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Michael, Clitheroe says...
1:40am Sat 7 Jun 08

Agrees with Lauren, RVBC are this very month switching everyone over to wheeled bins, hence problems in remote areas do happen this would all be sorted out over the coming few weeks, but sadly some people have to make mountains out of mole hills.

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Steve, Brownhill says...
9:39pm Sat 7 Jun 08

What is it with councils and rubbish collections.

Get off your collective bums and do what tax payers pay you to do and collect the rubbish.

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Recycling lol, If only you knew the truth says...
6:36pm Sun 8 Jun 08

If only the public knew the real truth behind the council recyling propaganda... Isn't it true that RVBC got told that they cannot take their 'recycling' rubbish to darwin any more due to the facts that they just tip any old rubbish and now they can only take it to barnsley because they want a specific type of stuff from the rubbish. We the public are being forced to seperate our rubbish whislt the council them selves just do what ever pleases them with it once its collected just go get good goverment figures

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village resident, nr clitheroe says...
11:09pm Sun 8 Jun 08

I have been offered 2 non recyling sacks per week.(no wheelie bins for me)Have to leave them nearly half a mile away on a map i was sent by RVBC on someone elses private garden I havent told them yet and i am not offered any collection on recycling of any items.Details will be sent with my sacks.
Unless i am missing the point how does one compare a small bedsit for the same amount of rubbish produced in a 4 to 5 bedroomed house.??
There are also people in the countryside that dont have cars how can they get their bags to the pick up point.
There will be some problems ahead after 30th June, lets hope they get sorted out quickly and with common sense.PLEASE

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Comments are closed on this article.

A FRAIL pensioner has been left to walk half-a-mile along an uneven, winding lane to put out her bins after being told binmen couldn't collect it. A FRAIL pensioner has been left to walk half-a-mile along an uneven, winding lane to put out her bins after being told binmen couldn't collect it.

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