UPDATE (30/7/21): Councillors Fail To Act On Failing Somerset Waste Partnership's Bins and Recycling

 

We've Been Holding The SWP To Account

UPDATE (30/7/21): The councillors who are Chair and Vice Chair of the Somerset Waste Board are out of touch. They are Lib Dem Councillor Sarah Dyke and Conservative Councillor Clare Paul respectively. 

These councillors are supposed to manage the contract for waste. But Somerset Independents has been contacted by many residents who are unhappy with the failures of these councillors to get results.

Cllr Dyke and Cllr Paul told Somerset Independents this week, when we put them on the spot: 

"As Chair and Vice Chair we are updated regularly and are satisfied that the partnership is doing everything it can to make sure the contractor delivers, whilst acknowledging the difficult circumstances that everyone is working in." 

WHO ARE THEY TRYING TO KID?

Somerset's residents won't be fooled by this latest denial of the facts:

• bins not collected across wide areas of Somerset
  
• recycling not collected across wide areas of Somerset
• problems with the treatment of current and former workers
• problems with recruiting and retaining workers

Workers and residents are being let down by these councillors, who let the contract and fail to manage the contract.

Contact Somerset Independents and tell us about why you think that these councillors should be replaced with other councillors who get the job done and the basics done in Somerset's council services.

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Every day, Somerset Independents is hearing about more problems with the bins and recycling in Somerset.

Residents have contacted us.

Workers have contacted us.

We've taken action, as on this article here and previous articles that we've published. 

Because councillors are not getting things sorted, we've gone directly to the Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP). 

And we are holding councillors to account because it was councillors who signed the contract in the first place.

Councillors should be looking at penalty clauses and the termination of the contract.

So in the absence of action from councillors, we've challenged the SWP directly.

When we contacted the SWP, they deleted our Facebook post on their Facebook page (see below - the post is above and they deleted it as shown below).

After the SWP Deleted Our Post

Residents have told us that they have been treated in the same way. They've been ignored, belittled or insulted by the PR people at the Somerset Waste Partnership.

There is a name that crops up most often, with initials NC, who multiple residents have described to us as "rude" and worse.

For example, one resident told us yesterday:

"Recycle More has now started in South Somerset today. Yet there are many people on Facebook who say they have yet to receive their blue bag. And the answer they are being given is to go on online and order your own. Just another example of the poor service from this unaccountable quango."

Here is the latest PR spin that the SWP sent to us when we challenged them directly on the issues that residents and workers raised with us:

"Somerset Waste Partnership is accountable to the five councils of Somerset that are elected by local residents, with a governing board of 10 members appointed by those councils.

 

"The new Recycle More service is cutting waste and helping Mendip residents recycle around an extra 100 tonnes a week.

 

"Crews are collected for work to maintain Covid safety. Agency staff may find that demand for their time varies, and the person mentioned should contact their agency again about work with our contractor. There are no zero-hours contracts among our contractor's employees.

 

"Anonymous complaints with no details of what happened - such as the location or date - are very difficult to investigate, which in turn makes taking action to address any issues raised far harder.

 

"We would like to apologise to the person involved for any upset or inconvenience. We invite that person to contact us so we can both apologise directly and investigate their complaint in a way that maintains their anonymity while ensuring that the correct action is taken.

 

"We and our contractor are working hard to deal with the problems created by the national and local LGV driver shortage. We have apologised to residents for the situation, been clear that there is no quick fix, and fully appreciate their patience at such a difficult time."

Reacting to the SWP's PR, Leader of Somerset Independents Andrew Pope says:

Andrew Pope

 

"Who are they trying to kid? Instead of addressing the poor service, poor recruitment and retention and poor communication with residents, the SWP employ an army of PR people to try to 'manage communities' in this continuing disaster of a contract.

I will be chasing councillors again, to get these issues addressed urgently.

If councillors do not get it sorted, then the councillors that made the decisions on this disastrous contract should be held to account and removed from elected office.

Councillors should be looking at penalty clauses and the termination of the contract.

And consideration should be made of the contract being terminated."

We will continue to challenge the SWP and the councillors who are SUPPOSED to hold them to account.

Get in touch at the contact details here to let us know what you think should be done.