Three missed collections

Re: Kier waste collections.

Following the reply by Cllr Standley from Wealden District Council (Opinion, June 1) regarding my letter two weeks ago I would like to update and correct a couple of things.

On Saturday 26th May a normal sized waste vehicle collected four weeks of recycling and two weeks of household waste which I guess went to generate electricity.

On Wednesday 30th May the garden waste was collected by a normal sized vehicle. Recycling was due for collection Thursday 31st May and is still here, that is now three missed fortnightly collections on the trot.

‘Tis true that the hedgerow belonging to Polegate council was overgrown somewhat and a partial attempt has been made to cut some of it back which will be regrown within four weeks, recreating the same access problem.

It is an incorrect statement by Cllr Standley that narrow collection vehicles are being used to collect our waste and that has led to the glass recycling being mixed with other recycling.

It has been the practice of the collection team to empty the blue box of glass into recycling bin before emptying it into the hopper of the normal collection vehicle for well over 18 months. On asking around and about, this practice occurs in other areas, in fact appears commonplace.

I stand corrected regarding the use of landfill which I now understand is just 1 per cent of all waste collected in Wealden, a praiseworthy achievement.

I should also state that I appreciate the hard work of the crews that collect our waste in all weather conditions. I would take a gamble that the crews lack either vehicles and or worker numbers to achieve all of the waste calendar daily duties. In all, I have been a Polegate resident for 44 years, when waste collections were undertaken by WDC crews rather than by a private company, it was very rare to encounter a problem.