Powys bin collection failures ‘wholly unacceptable’, say Conservatives

Welsh Conservative councillors in Powys have written an open letter to the council leader, demanding urgent intervention over what they describe as “wholly unacceptable” failures in waste and recycling collections.

The group says it has “lost all confidence” in the cabinet member responsible for the service and the wider cabinet, following weeks of disruption after new collection routes were introduced in March.

They are demanding urgent action is taken to resolve matters.

They say the disruptions have extended far beyond ‘teething problems’ with a new system and the reality for many residents is now ‘wholly unacceptable.

The letter states; “Some households have gone five weeks without a collection, while others are experiencing irregular and unpredictable pickups on varying days.

“Councillors across Powys are now swamped with reports of missed collections, highlighting the widespread scale of this issue.

“The Council has a statutory duty to provide an effective waste and recycling service. At present, Powys County Council is demonstrably failing to meet this obligation.

“The level of service being delivered would not be tolerated in the private sector, nor should it be considered acceptable within a public authority entrusted with providing essential frontline services.

“These operational failures are being compounded by poor communications coupled with updates that are frequently inconsistent, unclear, or issued late in the day, leaving residents unsure when—or if—their waste will be collected.

“This is undermining public confidence in the Council’s ability to manage core responsibilities and adding to widespread frustration.

“It is also increasingly evident that the portfolio holder must take greater accountability for these ongoing problems. Leadership on this issue has been noticeably lacking, and immediate corrective action is required.”

The Conservative Group said there is an urgent need for immediate remedial action.

They said the original justification for changing collection days was to improve efficiency and resolve existing challenges in the system. Instead, the situation has deteriorated further.

“Uncollected refuse and recycling create significant problems for households—particularly in windy conditions, where bags and containers can be blown open or scattered, causing mess, attracting pests, and presenting health and safety risks within communities.

“The Conservative Group have lost confidence in the portfolio holder and are therefore asking you as leader to take immediate action and issue a public apology.”

They asked the Leader Councillor Jake Berriman to intervene directly to stabilise the service without further delay, ensure the portfolio holder is held fully accountable, deliver clear, timely, and consistent communications to residents, review the effectiveness of the new collection-day system and take corrective action where necessary and issue a public apology to residents acknowledging the scale of the disruption, the hardship it has caused, and the Council’s failure to meet its statutory obligations.

The group added; “Residents have been more than patient, but the ongoing disruption is now unacceptable, and we urge you to prioritise fixing this essential service as a matter of urgency.

“As this issue is impacting all of Powys and every councillor we ask you to seriously consider calling an urgent extraordinary meeting of full council so that all councillors have the opportunity to convey their residents’ views and discuss this matter fully.”

A spokesperson for Powys County Council said: “There have been issues with the new collection rounds which was to be expected from such a large scale change to all the routes.

“We have been honest in our publicity that we did expect some initial issues and have asked that residents do bear with us whilst the routes settle down. Crews will not be used to these routes, which does mean that in some instances it will take some time until they are able to complete them within the working day. There will also be more missed properties to begin with due to unfamiliarity with the rounds.

“Whilst extensive modelling has taken place, it is not possible to try out new rounds in a real world situation until they are actually implemented. We are continually reviewing the new routes and will make adjustments as required.

“In most cases the collections are being completed in the following days so that residents do not have to wait too long between collections. Unfortunately, routes do need to be optimised periodically due to changes in the composition of waste and recycling, additional properties, updates to collection vehicles, and changes in bulking locations.

“This is common to all local authorities and there will always be some issues when this happens. We do understand that this is an inconvenience for residents and apologise for this. We are working very hard to resolve all the issues as quickly as possible, but do ask for patience as we go through this process. In the meantime we would ask that residents check the bin collection day facility on our website which is kept up to date daily with any changes to collections.”

Powys County Council’s Leader Councillor Jake Berriman in a response to the Conservative Group said: “I do appreciate the opportunity to openly discuss the live issues being experienced with the recently introduced route optimisation, its implementation and the impact that it is having on residents, staff and the reputation of the Council.

“Whilst I know that everyone is working hard to overcome the operational difficulties being experienced, the service to the public has not been as good as any of us would like, and whilst my apology, as Leader of the Council, will not resolve that, it is sincerely offered.

“I have today spoken with the Chief Officer Place about these concerns and the need to find both a short-term fix and longer-term solution that balances service efficiency and effectiveness. He is working with the team to do so.

“Based on my own operational experience of implementing change programmes in waste collection/recycling services elsewhere I know that these things take time to bed in, but we also have to accept, as you clearly highlight, that the public’s forbearance is becoming frayed and assurances have to be met.

“I can confirm that the Portfolio Holder is in regular contact with the service and has herself asked challenging questions of them, but you must appreciate that this is a wholly operational matter for which officers and not Members have day to day responsibility.

“That said, I think that some unanswered concerns remain and I would be happy to meet with your Group face to face to discuss them and, together, working with officers ensure that lines of communication over the issues and panned improvements are properly and consistently communicated to all Members and the public.“