The car park at The Batch last night
South Gloucestershire Council was this week being urged to step up its response to the bin strike.
More than 150 Unite union members at waste contractor Suez are striking over pay until 3rd September.
There are only enough staff left to empty black bins. A huge amount of recycling has been building up in the car parks of Warmley Community Centre and The Batch at Cadbury Heath which the council has designated as 24/7drop-off points for cardboard, paper, glass, cans and plastic.
Last night Cllr Sam Bromiley, who leads the opposition Conservative group, called on the council to step up its response.
He said: “South Glos Council has created an environmental and public health crisis. The delay in getting these bins installed and the small number of sites mean the backlog of recycling has overwhelmed the system.”
Warmley Community Centre’s car park
There are also locations for recycling and food waste (not garden waste) from 8am to 2pm at Lyde Green Park & Ride, Page Road long-stay car park in Staple Hill, Stoke Gifford Park & Ride and the council’s site at North Way, Filton. Meanwhile there have been very long queues at the Sort It centres including Mangotsfield.
Last week council leaders penned an open letter to Unite and Suez saying residents are owed a clear explanation of the actions of both parties to date as well as details of how they seeking to resolve the dispute.
Meanwhile strikes by more than 300 refuse workers at Bristol Waste were suspended following an improved offer from the company. The workers, who are members of Unite, were being balloted on the new offer. If rejected, strikes are due to begin on Thursday and last until Sunday, with a further 14 days of action starting on 24th July.
