A person has received a 5 month stand-off along with his council over changing a bin broken by refuse employees.
CCTV footage reveals binmen returning Tim Spencer’s wheelie bin with out a lid in Could, however the council refused to ship him a free substitute.
They mentioned he must pay £25 to interchange it himself because the binmen hadn’t reported damaging it and the lid would have come off by way of put on and tear.
And when he complained his lidless bin was submitting up with rainwater he claims they instructed him to drill holes within the backside of it.
However after 5 months of back-and-forth with out them budging, a Maidstone Borough Council employee lastly delivered a free new inexperienced bin.
Tim had not acquired any electronic mail or notification {that a} new bin was lastly on its approach.
Tim Spencer along with his new bin
( Tim Spencer / SWNS)
The 56-year-old from Barming in Kent, mentioned: “I used to be ingesting a cup of tea and mentioned to my spouse ‘oh, there’s a chap outdoors and he’s unloading a inexperienced bin.’
“I assumed that have to be the bin however we had acquired no notification or electronic mail. He simply rocks up and dropped off a brand new bin, no notification in any respect.”
The council employee reportedly instructed him: “I used to be right here yesterday however you weren’t in.’”
“I mentioned ‘I didn’t know you have been coming, it was information to me I used to be getting a substitute bin.’”
“’Your bosses on the council didn’t consider it’s damaged.’
“He mentioned, ‘effectively, it’s lacking it’s lid and it’s off its hinges, so it’s damaged.’’
The council employee carted off the previous bin and the brand new one even had the quantity two painted on it for his tackle.
Mr Spencer mentioned he wouldn’t be emailing the council once more concerning the bin.
Employees returned his brown bin with a break up too, however he determined to not elevate that with the council.
He mentioned: “Certainly one of my neighbours mentioned we don’t need our brown bin anymore, so would you like it?
“I didn’t point out that to the council, I simply left that one.
“However all’s effectively that ends effectively.”
Maidstone Borough Council have been approached for remark.
Final April the council declared residents shall be charged for substitute bins, in an try and mop up £100,000 from the waste assortment funds.
Locals complained the costs have been unfair as a result of bin males typically break the bins themselves when loading the garbage.
Maidstone Council U-turned, deciding bins shall be changed free of charge if the bin males report an issue, somewhat than the proprietor.
In consequence, Mr Spencer thought he was in with an opportunity of the council waiving his £25 price.
However on the time the council’s waste service officer Tim Stanley wrote: “If the difficulty is that your bin has no lid, then the council is not going to be changing this freed from cost.
“We’re authorised to interchange bins which might be unserviceable. However any with out lids can nonetheless be loaded onto the gathering automobile.
“You will want to order your substitute on the MBC web site and pay the £25 cost, if you want a brand new bin with a lid.”
