Bin chaos in Brighton and Hove continues – with one politician claiming workers are not completing their rounds due to unofficial “work to rule” action.

As part of cost-cutting measures, Brighton and Hove City Council made a raft of changes to recycling and refuse rounds last month.

The redesign, which saw five rounds scrapped, was intended to make the service more efficient.

But, with Cityclean staff claiming they have not been given enough time to do their work, thousands of householders have been left without collections.


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Earlier this week, the local authority added there were problems with its communal bin vehicles, which meant giant bins in the city centre were left unemptied.

Conservative councillor Graham Cox said: “We probably have the most up to date refuse fleet of any council in the country yet we keep being told that the trucks keep breaking down.

“They then have to get taken back to the depot and signed off as working before they can be sent back out.

“I’m seriously convinced there’s some form of work to rule agreement going on as the unions are upset after coming out worse from the dispute with the Green administration earlier this year.”

The allegation came after Coun Cox received a complaint from a resident in the Poet’s Corner area of Hove who did not have his recycling containers collected as they were on “private land”.

In response, Gary Palmer, of the GMB, denied there was any work to rule agreement and blamed it on a “poor reorganisation”

of the rounds.

He said: “Staff are working really hard to work to the new schedule but the truth is they have less people doing more work.”

Areas with disruptions include central Hove, Seven Dials and North Laine.

Dan Holtom, of Richmond Road, Brighton, said there had been no collection for three weeks.

Andrew Goodall, of Over Street, Brighton, said his recycling was collected for the first time in three weeks yesterday.

A statement on the council website thanked residents for their patience, adding: “These changes to your collection days are being introduced to improve the efficiency of the service.

“Collections will now take place on bank holidays except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.”