Brighton: Westdene bins collected once in eight weeks

Communal bins at the back of several blocks of flats have been missed after the council made a road one way.

Bin lorries no longer drive down Barn Rise, in Westdene, Brighton, after Brighton and Hove City Council started its school streets scheme for Westdene Primary School in November last year. 

Barn Rise, in Westdene (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

This means people living in Arundel Court, Beeding Court, Chailey Court and Durrington Court in Dene Vale rarely have their bins collected as the service road at the rear of their blocks is no longer on the collection route.

Gemma Mitchell, who lives in Chailey Court, said: "We initially thought was a great idea to have the school street but then it led to the bin truck route being altered and the truck wouldn't deviate from it.

"It led to our bins not being collected for weeks on end. We raised tickets, rang, spoke to some very helpful people, and it did change for a bit. But now it’s back and our bins have only been collected once in the last eight weeks."

Gemma Mitchell (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Each block has six flats each, some with families in, so "it mounts up pretty quick," Gemma said.

She added: "It's grim. It attracts vermin and it was a mess. I don't want to touch the bins because there are maggots."

Maggots have taken over some of the bin bags (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Simeon Lewis, a taxi driver who lives in Durrington Court, said: "Without the councillor's assistance we just don't get our rubbish collected.

"We’re paying our council tax while we are suffering. As a city that pays some of the highest council taxes in the country, I think we deserve better."

Simeon Lewis holding up the lid of a bin (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

The school streets scheme encourages safer driving around schools by limiting the speed and directions cars can travel.

But the Westdene Primary scheme also meant that essential services such as bin collections were not able to reach the service road at the back of the flats.

Residents are calling on the city council to explore the possibility of reversing bin lorries into the street, using a banksman.

Now Tory councillor Ivan Lyons has stepped in to advocate for the angry residents.

He said: "I am really disappointed with the current council because the new administration said that they will come in and sort out the bin collections from the previous council but unfortunately, this isn't happening."

Cllr Lyons is outraged (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Cllr Lyons said the one week the bins were collected was because he threatened to contact The Argus.

He said: "So the one week that the collection did come is because I threatened to go to the press and, surprise, surprise, a lorry turned up the following day.

"We shouldn't have to threaten the council to go to the press each week. Residents have had enough and it's totally unsatisfactory.

The entrance to Barn Rise (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

"People pay awful lot in council tax but it's actually just dealing with the basics which proves to be a challenge.

"Residents just asked for bins to be collected in a timely manner each week and even this can't be done."

The state of the bins in February (Image: Supplied)

This is not the first time rubbish has gone uncollected at the blocks. In February, rubbish piled up into the corridor, creating a fire risk. Residents complained about the smell at the time.

Brighton and Hove City Council has been approached for comment.