Calderdale's household waste recycling collection service is 'more stable than earlier in the year' says senior councillor

Calderdale Council experienced problems with missed collections but except particularly for some issues during the extreme heat of the summer, things were more stabilised than the start of the year, said Coun Jenny Lynn, Cabinet member for Public Services and Communities.

She said online reporting was being reviewed but Coun Felicity Issott (Con, Ryburn) queried whether things seemed to be more stable because people were encountering problems reporting issues.

“Are collections appearing to be more stable because residents are in fact unable to report missed collections and that is why the IT system needs to be reviewed?” she said.

Coun Issott wanted to know if the council was holding contract holder – Suez – to account.

Coun Lynn (Lab, Park) said based on figures she had been given it was accurate to say the situation is “considerably more stable that it was.”

She said online reporting issues might be more considerable than the council thought, although the council did not think it was a really significant problem.

Officers did hold the contractor to account and matters were taken up.

Coun Issott said a “significant” funding was agreed to part fund a pay increase for drivers before the council’s 2022-2023 budget meeting councillors had no say in it.

But Coun Lynn said although Cabinet had been criticised for this it had stemmed a loss of drivers – a national shortage had seen Calderdale locally lose 25 per cent of its waste and recycling drivers.

“We’re not out of the woods, I wouldn’t claim it’s a perfect service but we are doing our best,” she said.

Coun Silvia Dacre (Lab, Todmorden), Cabinet member for resources, said Suez wagons had cameras in cabs, recording what was going on and missed collections would be known about before the council logged them – the report saying collections had improved was a true reflection.

Coun Lynn said collections missed on the scheduled day are generally picked up the following day, except for areas with access issues, where smaller vehicles return at the weekend.