Elton, Derbyshire

A message from your District Councillor Colin Swindell about your waste collection services…

I am writing to update you on the ongoing problems with waste collections in the Derbyshire Dales.

Over the past few weeks, waste collections in Elton and Gratton have either been delayed or missed. Not every household has been affected, but the vast majority still have bins on the kerbside waiting to be emptied.

Understandably, residents have been asking a lot of questions. So, to keep everybody informed I have set out below what the problems are, the current situation and advice and answers to the questions most commonly asked. I have tried to be as brief as I can.

Finally, if after reading this update you have further questions, please contact me. Email is preferable at this busy time, but due to the number of messages I am receiving it might take a little longer than normal to reply.

The bottom line is that I want residents to know that I am doing everything I can to get the backlog of waste removed at the earliest opportunity. I appreciate your patience and understanding.

What is the problem?

• I first noticed in February 2021 that the Council’s waste service provider, SERCO, was experiencing problems with waste collections. The number of missed bins was slowly increasing and parts of Winster were having a weekly battle to have their waste removed.

• As the weeks went on, the problem became more widespread. By mid-June, the issues with SERCO were affecting all corners of the Derbyshire Dales and eventually reached Elton. The number of complaints the Council received began to rise significantly. At times it was as if the service had completely collapsed and SERCO’s management were called in for discussions with the Council’s officers.
• SERCO reported that they were suffering from a shortage of qualified HGV drivers to operate their refuse wagons. This is the result of a national shortage of HGV drivers. Current estimates show that there is a shortage of around 60,000 – 70,000 HGV drivers across the UK.
• The shortage of drivers is being blamed on both our exit from the EU – where many foreign drivers have left the UK – and a reduction in new drivers entering the industry. This in turn has led to agency drivers being in very high demand and there not being enough to fill current vacancies. This has left SERCO short of drivers week-on-week and unable to complete all rounds.
• An additional problem has been the big increase in cardboard recycling over the past year – no doubt a result of increased online shopping throughout the pandemic. Side waste (additional recycling materials left by the side of the bin) has increased by around 25%. This means that the crews are spending more time loading the refuse wagon and having to make more trips to the tips – adding to the time they spend on each round.
• With driver number being so low, SERCO appear to be focusing their efforts on collecting grey bins and black sacks (general/residual waste) and food waste. This is for environmental health reasons. Garden waste is also a priority as this is now a subscribed service. This leaves the recycling waste which has been the impacted the most.
• The service performance remains in a dire state and there does not appear to be a clear plan in place by SERCO to tackle the backlog or how to proceed from here. This has resulted in a ‘patchy’ service with neighbouring streets and villages getting a very varied service.
• The situation has deteriorated to the point where I can no longer guarantee that crews will return for your missed bins. So, sadly, I don’t have any answers to the question ‘when will my bin be emptied?’. I can only apologise.

Advice to residents 

• My advice to residents is that if your bin/containers are missed, please leave them at the kerbside or the end of your driveway. If/when SERCO find surplus time and crews to ‘mop-up’ any missed waste, they may arrive on your street unannounced. Leaving your bin/containers out for collection will ensure they are not missed. Please do your best to keep all waste secure and not obstructing pavements or the highway.
• Please continue to put your other bins/containers and waste out for collections as normal each week on the scheduled collection day – even if your previous waste hasn’t been collected.
• Residents should continue to report missed collections if your waste is not collected on your scheduled collection day. This needs to be done within 2 working days and preferably though the online form at www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk. I appreciate that this might seem pointless if there is no guarantee that the crews are going to return. Every complaint, however, helps the council to build-up a case against SERCO.

What is being done to resolve the issues?

• Council officers have been using the legal penalties built into the contract to put pressure on SERCO to bring the service back into line. Due to the legal nature of these penalties, I cannot go into detail. Each complaint the Council receives about a missed bin, is used as a penalty against the company.
• Council officers are also meeting regularly with SERCO to discuss ways the council can support them in helping to clear the backlog of waste. A number of options are being considered and as soon as I have more details, I will update residents. Alongside this, SERCO are in the process of recruiting more drivers, training existing staff and pulling in crews from neighbouring authorities where they can.

Other points and answers to your questions

• Council staff who are manning the telephones are experiencing a very high number of calls as they deal with growing complaints about missed bins. Some are working late into the evenings too. This is a very stressful time for them and some are experiencing verbal abuse. To help reduce the burden on council staff, where possible please report your missed bins online. If you do need to call, please remain calm and polite. The person at the end of the phone is there to help you and is not the one who failed to empty your bin.
• A number of people have repeatedly got in touch with me to express their frustration and anger about SERCO and the whole situation. Some are doing his daily. Please be assured that I am aware of the severity of the situation, the impact this is having on residents and that SERCO need to be held to account for the poor service. There is only so much I can do in my role, but please understand that I am doing what I can to make sure the service returns to normal as soon as possible and holding SERCO to account.
• A number of emails have commented on the issue of refunds for residents who have subscribed to the garden waste collection scheme, but have not had it collected. I fully understand people’s feelings on this matter. When the situation improves, I will certainly be making representations to see how residents can be compensated.
• A number of residents are suggesting that the contract should be withdrawn from SERCO and either a new service provider be found or the service taken back in-house. Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Should SERCO be ‘sacked’ then the council would be left with no waste collection service at all. We would need to undergo a new tendering process which would take considerable time and a new service provider would have the upper hand in negotiations due to the council’s desperate situation. The Council does not have the finance or resources to take on the service itself.

Thank you for taking the time to read the above points. I hope you find them helpful. Again, I can only apologise for any inconvenience and reassure you that I am doing everything I can to get this matter resolved.

On a parting note, not everybody receives these emails and will be wondering what is happening. Please help by forwarding this email to friends, relatives and neighbours and sharing the information where you can. A copy of this will be placed on the village notice board too.

Thank you

Colin Swindell (District Councillor)