Portsmouth bin collection frustrations as residents complain of 'overflowing' waste and missed pick up
FRUSTRATED city residents have called for answers over missed rubbish collections and waste left ‘overflowing’ in the street.
Several people across Portsmouth have voiced their concerns to The News about their weekly bin collections, which they say have been ‘irregular’ for three months.
It comes after the city council advised residents in January that a bin lorry had broken down - but since said this was unrelated to further missed collections this month.
Former councillor Les Stevens, who lives in Silver Street, Southsea, believed there was an issue between Portsmouth council and its contractor Biffa.
The 70-year-old said: ‘I don’t know what is going on with Biffa. Things have been hit and miss with household waste and recycling.
‘They changed the recycling dates from Tuesday to Wednesday, it changed from a weekly collection to fortnightly. I have had no correspondence from them at all.
‘Outside the council block in Flint Street, where there are nine flats in the block, rubbish is totally overflowing.’
A Biffa employee, who wished to remain anonymous, told The News: ‘We have worked so hard; I’ve never known morale to be so low in all my time. Four workers have left since the pandemic, some of them had over 30 years’ experience.’
Portsmouth City Council confirmed a ‘small number of properties’ had changes made to their collection days for household and recycling waste on March 15.
And a spokesman for the council said no cuts were made to the waste service and no vehicles had been taken off the road. They added that a spare vehicle is in use to deal with any issues that may occur.
A spokesman for Biffa said: ‘A change to one of the routes we manage for Portsmouth City Council was implemented to deliver greater efficiencies.
‘We are working with the council to ensure that local residents are provided with great service going forward.’
A full list of areas affected by the changes can be found by searching ‘bin collection days’ at portsmouth.gov.uk.