Mayor admits bin error but criticises domino effect

Middlesbrough's mayor Chris Cooke acknowledged issues with communicating how green bin changes would be rolled out

The mayor of Middlesbrough has acknowledged problems with the rollout of new garden waste collections, while also blaming a "domino effect".

A council email sent to residents included a leaflet which appeared to suggest old green bins would be collected for the last time "from Monday".

It was then forced to clarify this was a sample leaflet and the collection of old bins would take nine weeks, with new bins being delivered by the end of April.

Chris Cooke acknowledged communication was confusing, but said neighbours copying each other when putting bins out created a domino effect.

Old bins are due to be replaced with brown versions which will be collected fortnightly for those signing up for a £40 charge.

'Everyone starts doing it'

Mr Cooke said: "That leaflet example shouldn’t have gone out.

"They obviously should have blanked out the Monday, because that would have really helped.

"But I think there is also a bit of a problem, isn’t there, because I think everyone follows the same rule: look outside, check what your neighbour’s done and it’s just a domino effect from there.

"So I think once one person had not read the email and then put the bin out, it was then going to be everyone that starts doing it."

Residents have been complaining about the confusion and difficulties in getting through to the council to sign-up to the service.

Mr Cooke explained the changes were needed to enable the council to get rid of older bin wagons and make the service more reliable.

He said: "When one of the vehicles breaks down currently we can’t just put one of the other bin vans in because of the mechanism on the back.

"So when we change over it means that we’ll be able to reuse vehicles from other parts of the fleet, making it more reliable."