Kirklees Council has blamed “significant operational issues” for the failure to empty a reported 4,000 household waste bins across parts of Huddersfield.
Councillors and residents say they have been left in the dark after black bins were not collected in villages with HD9 postcodes including parts of Meltham, Wooldale, Scholes, Holmbridge, Honley, New Mill and Thongsbridge.
The specific reason for the missed collections has not been revealed – even to local councillors.
Clr Nigel Patrick, who represents Holme Valley South, said the council hadn’t yet revealed what it had meant by ‘operational issues.’
He said: “I have asked the question. They say they had ‘significant operational issues’ on Wednesday which had a knock-on effect. They are busy trying to catch up. I am told they will have caught up on Tuesday.”
Clr Patrick said he couldn’t understand why Kirklees were hiding behind vague explanations.
“I don’t know why they just can’t tell us. Is it staffing issues or a breakdown? People’s bins are full and if they are left out and it’s windy there will be litter all over.”
Clr Patrick is hoping find out more in the coming days why bins were missed.
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Lynn Myland, a former Kirklees employee who lives in Thongsbridge, contacted the council after her bin wasn’t collected earlier this week.
She said: “They told me I wasn’t the only one and that over 4,000 households had been affected. I was flabbergasted.
“They told me there had been operational issues. I asked them to be more specific but they said no. They didn’t want to give me an answer. I asked if the staff were on strike but they said no.
“I know that the council once signed up to the Plain English guidelines and are supposed to be plain and transparent. I want them to tell me in plain English what’s happening because ‘operational issues’ means nothing.”
Dozens of people have taken to social media to complain about the situation. Some residents reported that they had been told to leave their bins out as bin wagons would be ‘catching up’ on collections in the coming days.
No-one was available to comment from Kirklees Council.