Local Lib Dem councillors say extra costs were incurred as residents replaced bins

It has been revealed that it cost £88,000 for residents to exchange their wheelie bins for different sizes last year.

3,000 people asked for either a larger or smaller bin of when the controversial new scheme was introduced by Ealing Council.

The figures, have been released by Liberal Democrat councillors in their newsletter.

They said:"As many residents know, wheelie bins were introduced last summer. Only now, are we getting information on some of the costs involved in the process. Recent information shows that across Ealing Borough over three thousand residents exchanged bins. This cost that the Council paid was £88,000.

Councillor Andrew Steed said,"We were critical of many aspects of the process. Accordingly we were contacted by many Southfield residents unhappy with the size of bin and the difficulties they experienced in trying to obtain smaller or larger bins.

"The Southfield Liberal Democrats think that if the initial offer to residents had been more honest as to exactly what was available, and the Council had responded with greater flexibility, the cost would have been far less."

The three Liberal Democrat councillors for Southfield identified 420 problems found in 100 streets. The issue of refuse collection and street cleaning remains problematic, with difficulties and issues over collection changes over the Christmas holidays.

Councillor Gary Malcolm said then, "Ealing Council has never been very effective at keeping our streets clean but since wheelie bins came along, our streets look far worse. Since we reported more than 400 issues to the Council, many have been rectified, but long term they need to buck their ideas up."

Conservative councillor Greg Stafford has also complained about the Labour-led council's move to a three-weekly clean and six-weekly deep clean of Ealing's streets.

17th January 2017