Madam,

For a second week in a row, we in the Llanafan/Trawsgoed area have had a disruption in the collection of our refuse. This is becoming a trend, as in the last month that now takes the total to at least three times. This is unacceptable.

Living in a rural community, putting our waste out is not usually just walking to the end of your drive. Many people live up long lanes and have a distance to take their rubbish to the collection point; sometimes this collection point is serviced by two, three or four households. A large amount of refuse left out beyond the allotted day is at the mercy of animals, both wild and domestic.

Last week our recycling was picked up on Saturday and not Wednesday (resource issues apparently, whatever that means). This week our black bag waste and bottles were not collected on Wednesday, the week after we had just received our new timetable. When I contacted the council, I was told there was “a disruption to the service” and so it would be picked up the next day. It so happens that my working pattern means that I am not working this Thursday. If it had been next week, however, I would not have been able to put my waste back out and so it would have been four weeks before it would have been collected. The first week of a new schedule and they cannot even get it right.

Again I say, this is not acceptable. If I were to calculate the percentage of the money I pay in council tax for waste collection and withhold a percentage of that for the missed calls, I would be taken to court, and yet I am paying for a service that is not being given. If this were a private contractor, they would lose the contract. If I were employing them for a service I would be searching for another provider.

We have had our council tax increased (to pay for schools, including the one they closed in Llanafan I presume). Can we please see a professional service in all the areas we pay the council tax for, and not have a rubbish, rubbish collection.

Yours etc, Marc Perry, Llanafan.

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