Bins now stink to ‘high heaven’

We were so impressed when the beautifully printed Waste and Recycling instructions from Rother arrived. Full colour brochures and separate schedule sheets of collection dates right up to Christmas 2014, covered with images of our various colour-coded wheelie bins and when we should put them out. But then Disappointment, Frustration and finally, Anger has replaced our euphoria.

There is no point in arranging a schedule of refuse collections if the bins are not going to be collected. Rother’s well-intentioned schedule is worthless. We are instructed - no - commanded to put the bins out before 7 am. We are told exactly what each bin should contain. We do our bit. We wash the packaging and make sure that everything is put in the right bin and put out on time. And then we wait!

We were told to put out our black garbage bin last Thursday July 31st for early morning collection. We made sure it was there. When the bin was not collected we rang Rother on Friday to inform them,we were told to leave it out and it would be collected later that day, Friday August 1st. It was still there at 4.35pm so we rang again only to hear Rother voicemail telling us that the office closes at 4.30 on a Friday. All weekend the stinking garbage bin stood outside in the heat. Monday morning we rang again and were told we “must be patient and let the new system bed down!”

Now our bin stinks to high heaven, is full of maggots and crawling with flies. Vermin are showing interest in it. It is Tuesday August 5th and today is the SIXTH day it has stood in the hot sun. This is not the first time this has happened and neighbours tell a similar tale of woe. It is a total disgrace. and a HEALTH HAZARD. We are both in our eighties, we each have a Blue Badge. Our next-door neighbour whose bin is still outside too, says if and when it is emptied, she refuses to wash out a maggot-filled bin on her property. The bin belongs to Rother. The contents - maggots and all - are the responsibility of Rother by contract.

We, the rate payers say - forget the expensive glossy leaflets and the colour coded schedules. They are pointless if the system does not work. All we ask is that our garbage is collected on time like it used to be and that we do not risk disease and illness because of the inefficiency and inadequacy of the Waste and Recycling Department of Rother District Council.

Ann Rachlin MBE And Iain Kerr

Address supplied