Bin services are 'high standard' amid complaints rise

Figures released by the local government watchdog this month show the number of upheld grievances across the UK has risen by 12 per cent compared with last year.

Councils out-sourcing waste services was at the root of many of the issues, the local government and social care ombudsman (LGSCO) said.

But deputy council leader Coun Robert Boswell has said this does not reflect the situation in Preston.

The local authority has kept its services in-house despite budget pressures and residents are benefitting as a result, he claimed.

Coun Boswell said: “I am pleased to say that the national statistics released last week for the rise in legitimate complaints regarding bins does not reflect the situation in Preston.

"While we have had a slight increase in complaints for missed bins in the last 12 months, the types of issues that are being brought to the Ombudsman are simply not present here.

"The waste management team works extremely hard to provide a reliable bin service to Preston - last year the waste management team carried out approximately 5,250,000 collections from 62,000 domestic properties.

"We believe that we are able to maintain this high standard due to our continued support for maintaining an in-house waste management service.”

Investigations found issues including repeated missed collections, sometimes compounded by infrequent bin rounds, poor complaint handling, and problems with assistance for those with disabilities, the LGSCO said.

City statistics show missed bin complaints for the first quarter of this year have risen by 16 per cent (general) and 1.6 per cent (recycling).