Following Dorset Council‘s announcement last week about the difficulties they are having, mainly due to the national HGV driver shortage, Dorset Cllr. Simon Christopher issued this report at Monday night’s BWGPC meeting:
Dear Councillors
Having supplied a report devoted to Common Water Lane, I now report separately on a most important matter. Central to the work of Dorset Council is the collection of waste. The National lorry driver shortage is impacting on kerbside collections and litter bin emptying across Dorset.
Indeed the effects of the National HGV driver shortage added to the continuing impact of Covid are starting to be felt across Dorset Council’s waste services as collection rounds feel the strain.
As recently reported in the National the impact of the driver shortage is being felt by councils across the county . In Dorset some crews are regularly having to work overtime and often at weekends, which is not sustainable. These pressures come on the back of a year of increased household waste amounts as more people have been working from home.
Dorset Council Senior officers recently briefed local MPs on the issues currently impacting Waste collections , street cleansing and bin deliveries in the hope that a long term solution can be found.
Recruitment of drivers in Dorset has always been challenging particularly due to high local housing costs but the current wide scale staff shortages across all depots are unprecedented. The Council currently has multiple vacancies and drivers and Loders across their waste team, along with some absence due to sickness and others on planned annual leave.
All employees across waste services are working hard to ensure that key waste services continue to run throughout this challenging time.
Dorset Council are having to temporarily suspend or delay some garden waste collections so that crews can be ready deployed to support vital rubbish food and recycling collections.
If any garden waste collections have to be cancelled stood down Dorset Council will automatically apply a discount to next years subscription fee.
Litter bins are being emptied less frequently in some parts of the county and new bin deliveries are also being delayed.
Councillor Jill Haynes portfolio holder for Customer and Community Services has said “We are proud to provide one of the best kerbside collection services in the Country under normal circumstances . Bit I’m afraid the current situation is both unprecedented and un sustainable”.
Council Haynes has added “While we will continue to ensure that Dorset’s waste is dealt with as best as we can there and do whatever is necessary to address local concerns we need actions to be taken by central government to address the National drivers shortage and help to mitigate the continuing effects of the pandemic”.
“I want to thank the hard working waste services crews and admin staff , who are doing a brilliant job under very different circumstances “.
“I also want to thank the people of Dorset for their patience and understanding as we tackle the issues at hand, most of which are outside of our control “.
Rather than continuing the commentary I would ask that you please e mail if you have queries for me to answer. If I do not know the answer myself I will contact the portfolio holder, the excellent Councillor Jill Haynes!
Best regards
Simon
Councillor Simon Christopher
Dorset Councillor Marshwood Vale
077988 33715
cllrsimon.christopher@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Edited by: Wendy Shields.
Read Cllr. Simon Christopher’s Report on Common Water Lane by clicking HERE.
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