It has taken over a month for residents’ bins in an area of Wealden to be emptied. In that time refuse piled up creating a health hazard.
Householders in Stone Cross who were due a bin collection by Wealden suffered with overflowing bins while neighbours just yards away received a regular service because they come under Eastbourne borough’s control.
Despite repeated calls from the local ward councillor, Wealden and its refuse contractor did nothing to alleviate the situation. Conservative Cllr Daniel Upton was becoming more and more frustrated as he and residents were given the run-around. He says he’s disappointed that the council’s new portfolio holder for waste and recycling didn't even realise that Stone Cross is Wealden’s responsibility.
“Naturally, residents here are angry that Stone Cross got forgotten for so long", said” Cllr Upton. “Because we are on the outskirts of Wealden, we get last priority.
“All the time, seagulls had a field day and left a trail of detritus down the street, and residents reported maggots in their rancid waste”, added Cllr Upton. “Many residents took their rubbish to the tip but there are those who do not have transport or who suffer mobility issues. It’s just not good enough, residents pay to have a regular bin collection and yet were ignored for so long.”
The recycling bins were finally emptied today, Monday 19th June while it took 19 days for rotting landfill bins to be dealt with in Stone Cross.
Caption: Bins in the Wealden part of the Stone Cross street are piled high.