RESIDENTS have aired their frustration with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council at the ‘lack of bin collections’.

As previously reported in the Gazette, people living across the borough have reported not having their black waste bins collected for up to a month.

The issues have come since the borough council entered a £44 million contract with Serco in October last year.

Residents have said since the change the service has ‘not been up to standard’.

Jane Gazzard, who lives in Whitchurch, said: “We haven’t had our bins collected in nearly a month and there is rubbish everywhere and we are starting to get rats.

“I have made numerous calls to the council and I never get any response. It is getting to the point where I feel like I shouldn’t pay my council tax if I am not getting the standard of service you would expect.”

A resident in Gainsborough Road in Basingstoke said: “We are a large family of seven. We hadn’t had our bins collected in two weeks until my husband saw the bin lorry driving around. As they were about to drive off, he ran after them and told them exactly where we were and watched them do our row.”

“They said they don’t know the route. That’s not good enough, I’m afraid. The next week they missed our house again. We can’t keep watching out for them every week. It’s their job, not ours.”

Carlos Tilbury, from Overton added: “I sent the portfolio holder [Councillor Hayley Eachus] an email saying this was unacceptable and was told the bins would be collected on Saturday after a missed collection on Friday.

“It is now Tuesday and still nothing.”

However, residents in Hatch Warren, some areas of Popley and Tadley posted on Facebook that they have had no issues with the service.

Cabinet member for environment and enforcement at the borough council, Cllr Hayley Eachus said: “We are now in week four of changes to residents’ bin collection days where over 55,000 households have seen a change to the day or week their waste or recycling is collected, plus additional changes to garden waste collections.

“This is a period of adjustment for both residents and our crews who have had to learn new routes for all of the collections. There are some incidents where crews are still getting to know where bins are placed, especially where vehicle access is limited. Serco is working through these to improve the crews’ knowledge.”