Missed bin collections and fly-tipping in Birmingham have resulted in hundreds of complaints
In Small Heath, a frustrated resident has been given £100 compensation after Birmingham City Council failed on several occasions to empty his bin, pick up fly-tipping and keep his street clean. This frustration is one that many of the city’s residents could relate to after the council failed to collect rubbish on time and did not clean up bags and waste which had been abandoned on street corners and pavements.
The Local Government Ombudsman found that the council failed to carry out regular street cleaning and missed waste collections in and around Palace Road in Small Heath. Following these revelations, the Ombudsman has stated that carer Saghir Ahmed will be paid £100 in compensation for his’ disappointment and his time and trouble he has been put to.’
Mr Ahmed addressed the situation and described it as ‘a small victory’ in his fight with the council. He commented on the state of his street in calling it a disgrace. “It is really depressing, I walk out of my house, and there is rubbish piled up and litter strewn around. When I raised the problem repeatedly the response was indifferent, they would send out template emails or letters and didn’t seem to care.
“It’s worse in the heat – then the stench can be really bad,” said Mr Ahmed. “I don’t know whether they were just getting so many complaints. But their response was not acceptable.
“I hope this will encourage others to keep speaking up. The council has been forced to act on this occasion, but I’m sure other residents have similar problems.”
After months of complaining to the council, Mr Ahmed then contacted the Ombudsman, which is the official body that monitors if the council fulfils their duties. Over six months he had made 21 complaints about fly-tipping, missed collections and street cleaning. However, since the Ombudsman’s ruling had been sent out, Mr Ahmed said that his road has been visited twice by the street cleaners within a month, and stated, “It will be interesting to see if they keep it up. The council has been abdicating its responsibilities to keep our streets clean.”
The report issued by the Ombudsman said, “The failure to monitor the dumped waste and its collection or take effective action to address the problem also amounts to a fault. This fault has caused (Mr Ahmed) and injustice.
“The council has also agreed to carry out a period of monitoring of the waste dumped in (his) area to identify the root of the problem. The council should then develop and implement a plan to address the issue.
“This monitoring should begin within one month of the final decision and continue for a period of three months. The council should then provide the Ombudsman with details of its findings and plan to address the problem within one month of the monitoring concluding.”
Navkiran Bains
