Keeping the city clean and moving over Christmas

in News

Birmingham City Council has announced plans to keep the city clean and moving over the Christmas and New Year period with many key services continuing to operate across the holidays.

With the onset of winter the city's fleet of gritters and snow ploughs will continue to be on-call 24/7, including all bank holidays, treating up to 1200km of the city's roads at a time.

Refuse and recycling collections on Tuesday 27 December, Monday 2 January, and the rest of the Christmas period are scheduled to continue as normal.

On Monday 26 December there will be black bag collections only - households due a recycling collection that day should put it out on Saturday 31 December.

However should bad weather, or the anticipated 30% increase in the volume of waste that needs collecting after Christmas, make it impossible to complete all collections please be patient and leave your waste on the boundary of your property where it will be collected in the following days.

You can also take your waste to any of the city's five Household Recycling Centres, which will remain open everyday except 25th - 26th December, 8am - 6pm weekdays and 8am - 4.40pm weekends.

Recycling collections will continue throughout the Christmas period allowing residents to recycle all the extra paper, glass and tin cans typically thrown away over the Christmas period.

While green recycling collections have been suspended for the winter, and are not due to recommence until 6th February 2012, the council is setting up special Christmas tree disposal points in its parks throughout January.

From January 6th to January 29th disposal points will operate adjoining the visitor centres at Lickey Hills, Sheldon, Sutton and Woodgate Valley country parks.
 
For up-to-date information on council services throughout Christmas, including live updates on when the gritters are going out visit www.birminghamnewsroom.com. You can also follow the #wmgrit hashtag on Twitter for gritting updates from right across the West Midlands.

If you are a member of the public with queries about waste collections, please contact the call centre on 0121 303 1111.

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There Are 31 Brilliant Comments

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  1. BJMalin says:

    I have made a comment about the non-refuse collection in our area on Friday with rubbish on main roads, side roads, and bin stores not collected. A perfect advert for Birmingham Council for people visiting our area over Christmas.
    I pressed the Post Comment button only to be told that I had entered the wrong Captcha code. If rthis happens again I will not send aother comment. BJM.

  2. Nick Parker says:

    Can someone please explain why, even after posting that there will be a black bag collection on December 26th are we left with household waste littering our streets at 18:53 on December 26th?

    If there is to be no collections then so be it, but DO NOT list on your website that you intend to collect! The only thing this achieves is the excessive build up of waste on our streets. There is no need for this failure, in my opinion this is yet another failing of a poorly managed council department. Remind me please what I pay my council tax for?

    As I mentioned I would not have cared less if there were no collection, as NEVER expected one anyway, as I appreciate that people deserve a holiday, my annoyance is the fact that the collection has been announced and has hence failed to be made. I hope that there is another collection planned prior to January 1st, as the black bags will be strewn across Sheldon by that time, as many people, unlike myself and my neighbours will not bring their bags back into their property.

    I expect you to have the decency to reply to my concern.

    • SimonH says:

      Thanks Nick

      Apologies for any problems you experienced. Regular collections did take place on the 26th Dec, but unfortunatley due to the even higher volumes of waste than expected we were unable to complete all collections as scheduled.

      We are endeavouring to catch up on all missed collections, whilst also delivering scheduled collections, as quickly as possible - so hopefully your refuse will either of being picked up already or will get collected very soon.

  3. Shaun says:

    The council say that black bag collections due on 26 December will continue as normal. Then why have no black bags in Ward End been collected on 26 and 27 December? Ward End is now becoming one huge rubbish tip due to the failure of the council to collect the black bags.

    • SimonH says:

      Hi Shaun, thanks for your comments. We are attempting to catch up all missed collections as soon as possible so please be patient and we should get to your refuse soon

  4. Stephen Sexton says:

    “On Monday 26 December there will be black bag collections only – households due a recycling collection that day should put it out on Saturday 31 December.

    However should bad weather, or the anticipated 30% increase in the volume of waste that needs collecting after Christmas, make it impossible to complete all collections please be patient and leave your waste on the boundary of your property where it will be collected in the following days”.
    The above was taken from your website today to comfirm the times and dates for refuse collections, after putting out the rubbish at 0500hrs on Boxing day, then having to take it back in at 1900hrs on the same night, then putting it back out again on the 27th, it will now stay out there till it is collected, whether the cats and foxes get to it or not!

    S.A.Sexton

    • SimonH says:

      Ok thanks for your comments Steve - We are endeavouring to get to all missed collections as soon as possible. Apologies and please bear with us

  5. Daniel says:

    Disappointing that this wasn’t shared via non-internet methods … Again … As I an looking at a pile of bags down my road that are going to sit there for a week, and recycling going soggy and rolling down the street with the high winds. Not everyone checks the internet to see when you are going to be picking collections up - even less will check BEFORE the event! And the people without internet access? Come on, city council…

    • SimonH says:

      Thanks Daniel - We will take your comments about advertising plans on board - obviously in the current climate we have to strike a balance between doing all we can to get the message out against the costs associated with any communications activity. Having said that we did place a big advert in the Birmingham Mail publicising the arrangements, but take on board we need to consider how to use other mechanisms in the future.

  6. w hornby says:

    It says on this page that recycling will be collected as normal on Tuesday 27th December. It wasn’t. When will it be?

    • SimonH says:

      We hope to catch up all missed collections over the next few days - please be patient and bear with us and leave your recycling at the edge of your property until we can get to it

  7. Sarah Bonser says:

    Great that you have said collections on 27 December and 2 Jan would be as normal.

    Shame that as usual you didn’t deliver and rubbish in Quinton still sitting on the street on 29 December as there was no collection on 27.

    Rubbish service!

    • SimonH says:

      We apologise for the problems experienced with refuse and recycling collections over the Christmas Bank Holidays and would ask the public to bear with us as we endeavour to catch up any missed collections over the next few days.

      Problems arose due to the much higher than normal volumes of waste and recycling following Christmas. If your waste or recycling was not collected on the scheduled day please leave it at the edge of your property and we will get to it as soon as we can.

  8. steve says:

    Interesting statement made that Tuesday 27 December, Monday 2 January, and the rest of the Christmas period are scheduled to continue as normal

    YER RIGHT !

    Is that why no rubbish has been collected ( Bags or Recycle ) in and around the Maypole area including Highters Road B14 & Druids Heath Easmore close - There’s Bags and Boxes everywhere even though we where told collection as usual !

    They couldn’t organise anything !!!…. they waste money left right and center …

  9. nikki says:

    Why was our rubbish not collected last Thursday the 22nd December, or this week? It is now 8pm on Thursday 29th December and there is masses of rubbish on our road in Northfield. Over the last year we always seem to be left with rubbish for two weeks at a time, ionce it was 3 weeks, as we live in a culdesac. This is so unfair, as a tax and council tax payer i expect a better service!

  10. Sarah says:

    This same problem arises every year! The BCC response is that there are much larger volumes of refuse than expected. It is Christmas for goodness sake so obviously the volume of waste will be much more than any other time of year! Why on earth do you not put provisions in place to account for this? I know we as public have the option of taking out waste to the local refuse centre but why should we, we pay a fortune in council tax which should include this service! Can you also advise me as to why certain roads within my estate have been cleared of rubbish and mine hasn’t? I rang the refuse dept at BCC this morning to discuss this issue and explained that there is now rubbish strewn across the road. I was advised that it would be helpful to clear this up! I have no intention whatsoever of doing this, it is not my responsibility, I have a day job!

  11. Dawn says:

    Why no refuse collection on the 23rd for black bags although recycling was picked up, and again no collection on the 30th?? northfield/rubery area

  12. Jennifer Ellis says:

    Our recycling collection was yesterday 29th December but only the paper recycling was taken - why did you not collect the plastic/bottles?? Do we still have to leave the box out in the hope that it will be collected and if so how long do we leave it out bearing in mind the local unruly element will take great pleasure in strewing the contents over the pavement?

  13. Mat Brunning says:

    Our recycling wasn’t taken on 27th despite the website saying it would be. We left it outside for 2 days but no one came - so it’s now inside again. Should we leave it outside again? If so, for how long? Really unsatisfactory over the Christmas period. Not happy.

  14. Karen says:

    Refuse collection was supposed to be on Weds 28th but still no collection even though it says on here “keeping the city clean over christmas”! Pretty useless as usual!

  15. Margaret B says:

    All the above comments also apply to the Northfield area. Whilst there have been waste and recycling collections today within half a mile of my home the backlog in the road casued through non collection on Tuesday 27th remains. Surely the missed collections should take priority?

    You say this is due to higher volumes of waste collections over the Christmas period but no collections were made in this area at all.

    If I am to keep the waste bags on my property I have no alternative but to keep them on my front lawn. When they are left there for another week it kills the grass below and leaves a very unsightly yellow patch.

    I went to the trouble of checking the Council website before putting the bags out and also assist the elderly in the road with putting out their bags, this does help with the public opinion of the services being provided.

  16. Margaret B says:

    All the above comments also apply to the Northfield area. Whilst there have been waste and recycling collections today within half a mile of my home the backlog in the road caused through non collection on Tuesday 27th remains. Surely the missed collections should take priority?

    You say this is due to higher volumes of waste collections over the Christmas period but no collections were made in this area at all.

    If I am to keep the waste bags on my property I have no alternative but to keep them on my front lawn. When they are left there for another week it kills the grass below and leaves a very unsightly yellow patch.

    I went to the trouble of checking the Council website before putting the bags out and also assist the elderly in the road with putting out their bags, this doesn’t help with the public opinion of the services being provided.

  17. kate 'o'rourke says:

    why if you are collecting as normal from Tuesday 27th December has the rubbishin my street which should have been collected on Thursday 29th been left to rot along with cans and bottles which were blowing around the street yesterday. black bags have been attacked by crows but if we do not leave them out we may not get them collected for another two weeks.

  18. Distressed of Sutton says:

    I concur with all the comments posted regarding lack of collections. I do not buy that there has been “higher than usual amounts of rubbish to collect!” It is Xmas after all, I would have thought it goes without saying. The steets are a disgrace littered with … Litter. Please can we have a collection in Sutton Coldfield bags have been out since Wednesday night and I refuse to go to local recycling centre as I took last weeks bags after they were not collected!

  19. Tracy says:

    On web site it states : On Monday 26 December there will be black bag collections only – households due a recycling collection that day should put it out on Saturday 31 December.
    Our black bags were collected on 27th December… does this mean that my recycling will be collect on sunday instead of the day you have stated????
    Christmas comes every year and everyone knows there will be more rubbish to be collected …..please think of this when sorting collections, we make the effort to put it out on the dates stated, please make the same effort

  20. Kens says:

    As expected you once again failed to collect recycling in Castle Vale. As usual the streets are now awash with rubbish. This has to be the most incompetant Council in the country, and to think we are paying for this, I view it as a form of theft!

  21. graham andrews says:

    simon H. whilst i know you are stating council policy. I have the same complaint as all the others. BCC has failed to deliver its promise of refuse collection to many of its rate payers. i live in northfield… bin bag colection is at least 24hrs in delay. recycling 7 days +.
    Now the point i wish to make is xmas day falls on dec 25th every year its no surprise. Is it? secondly the council has years of data on expeted volumes at xmas therefore this is all very predictable. what annoys rate payers is the confusing messages and broken promises put out by BCC. If you cant collect it on dec 26th tell us all and we wont bother leaving bags etc out. Delays = broken bags/windblown rubbish= a right mess all over the city= residents anger= extra costs incurred by BCC in additional litter picking= ineffiency!!All we want is “Get it right first time”. employ sufficent resources to cope in 2012! Happy new year to all the bin guys out there trying to help us all.

  22. Nick says:

    Sadly the problems encountered by others on the 26th December have been replicated in Northfield today, 2nd January 2012. If this is the Council’s idea of wishing it’s residents a “Happy New Year” it has failed miserably. We have had no collection at all despite promises to the contrary. The lack of communication is as conspicuous as the rubbish left strewn across the streets. When are you going to sort this out?

  23. vic perks says:

    this council has to be a joke no collection again as promised if you would
    like to give me a large reduction in my rates I will take it down to the tip my self
    as for coments like due to the large amount of rubbish we cant cope what do you expect when you dont collect anyway as for posting in the mail what a joke not all
    buy the mail but every house has the free paper any notice in there no.
    Vic

  24. Samantha says:

    You advertise that collections will take place as normal, yet Barrows Lane is covered with bin bags that should have been collected last Wednesday. When you ring the number and ask about collections, we were informed that extra crew were being put out over the weekend. Surely the crews should be doing the work during normal working hours instead over claiming over time and double at the weekend. No wonder the council is in the state it’s in.

  25. David R says:

    I suppose I can only reflect the above comments, ‘we might collect’ isn’t good enough, leaving rubbish out is simply not realistic. People can cope with honesty, it’s not like x’mas doesn’t happen every year, and again today our recycling wasn’t collected. It will have to go in black bags as I have no more room to store it.

    This leaves our streets looking like a second world ghetto. Or does it only matter for the City Centre to look clean?

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