HAS Swindon Council finally got it right?

Rubbish piled in St Austell Way earlier this month Picture Ref: 77010-7Nearly a month after the start of its new rubbish and recycling scheme the council says it has experienced ten days of teething problems, but is now on the right track.

And, residents who were previously fed-up with the council's refuse service are beginning to trust it again.

Over the past month the Advertiser has been reporting on the rubbish and recycling chaos, which erupted across town when refuse collection dates were changed and a home recycling scheme was launched on Monday, April 4.

We were inundated with complaints from angry residents who were sick of looking at stinking bin bags outside their front door and uncollected recycling boxes, overflowing with waste paper.

We reported on problems where bags and overflowing recycling boxes were mounting up at locations across the town.

But now, in a joint statement, council leader Mike Bawden (Con, Old Town & Lawns), and John Short, director of Swindon Services, say the scheme is a success.

They said: "We are addressing any problems as soon as we are made aware and the council allowed for a month's lead in period at no extra cost to the budget.

"We would like to thank the public for their participation and this (the yearly recycling target) will certainly go towards in excess of 30 per cent by April 2006, which is beyond the government's recycling targets."

This news has been well received by some residents who were beginning to lose faith in the council a few weeks ago.

Former mayor Derek Benfield, was worried that the problems were beginning to spiral out of control.

But he is now optimistic the council can turn the situation around.

He said: "Some complaints may not be viable because some people have been getting confused."

He added: "Swindon Council's waste disposal was one of the most efficient and one of the cheapest in the country.

"I am confident the council will be able to get back to this and I'm sure John Short will analyse the problems and take the right corrective action."

Glynis Churchward, of Stanier Street, was furious when she saw a refuse lorry coming towards her house on the wrong day, which meant her rubbish, was strewn across the street for days.

But she now echoes Mr Benfield's optimism. The 57-year-old market researcher said: "I think the council have got it together now, I have spoken to the bin men and they told me they will be here on the right day.

"We've had two weeks when it's worked now and so I'm keeping my fingers crossed."

But in Wroughton problems have only just been sorted out.

Lisa Peach, of High Street, telephoned the Advertiser yesterday to say mountains of rubbish bags had been piled up across the street for three days.

But following a call to the council, the bags were swiftly collected in under an hour.

Mrs Peach, 43, a checkout operator at Asda Wal-Mart, said: "It's amazing what a phone call can do. I can't believe it. Good on the Adver."

Recycling up

Since the launch of Swindon Council's new rubbish collection dates and recycling scheme, it has released the following figures.

From April 4 to 15 the council was receiving 2,000 enquiries per day.

This has now dropped to less than 500, which is less than the enquiries and complaints they used to receive before the service was implemented.

Three quarters of households have taken up recycling in designated areas. The rest of the country only recycles between 15 and 16 per cent.

In the first fortnight of the scheme the council recycled a total of 450 tonnes compared with 100 tonnes at this time last year. Ninety five per cent of all recycling and refuse is now being picked up on the correct day.

Lyndsay Scanlan