A COUNCIL’S customer service team is receiving 2,000 extra calls per week in the wake of the roll-out of a new waste collection system.

Thousands of wheelie bins are being delivered to homes across Tendring as part of the district council’s new waste service.

Homes using wheelie bins were switched to a fortnightly collection service, with a weekly collection of food waste and an alternate weekly recycling collection.

But residents have complained of rubbish being left uncollected and bins undelivered.

Neil Stock, Tendring Council leader, said the roll-out is progressing well, but had experienced “teething problems”.

He revealed 570 complaints have been registered about a bin not being delivered, out of 41,000 deliveries, while the customer contact team is receiving an extra 2,000 calls per week.

He said: “It is important to make clear that these are not all complaints.

“A good number are people applying for assisted collections or for authorised additional waste, and many are people enquiring when they will be getting their bin – some are people who simply do not want a bin.

“There have been some issues with missed waste collections, whether it is general waste or recycling, and again I apologise to those affected.

“Again, some of this was inevitable during the transition period, where our contractors are simultaneously doing old rounds while learning new routes, including the surge in assisted collection requests.”

Catherine Roberts, who lives in a block of six flats in Station Road, Brightlingsea, says their rubbish hasn’t been collected since their wheelie bins arrived.

“The wheelie bins were delivered about six weeks ago but on the first day of collection they didn’t pick them up,” she said.

“It is now almost week seven.

“I have since been told over the phone we don’t need to move the bins as they have always been picked up from this spot for the past 30 years.

“The most annoying thing is the animals are getting in and ripping the bags open. I know it isn’t all the council’s fault, they have so much going on with dealing with complaints - I am worried about the communication between them and Veolia as they clearly don’t know how it’s always been run.

“I’m not surprised they didn’t pick it up the first time, but almost seven weeks on is getting silly.

“The pub next door say they haven’t had theirs collected either. As they are a business they’ve had to drive their rubbish to the recycling centre.”

Mr Stock said the council is working hard to address problem areas like Brightlingsea.

He said: “We have pulled up and scrutinised our contractor on these issues as we would with concerns on any major contract.

“However, we also know they have been working extremely hard to catch up and put things right, with crews out until 7.30pm some days and plans for a weekend collection if needed.

“The early signs are really promising, around recycling take up in particular. I’d like to thank everyone for working so hard.”