Southampton City Council has apologised to residents affected by delays to bin collections as crews work to clear a backlog across the city.
The council said it had received reports of missed collections, including concerns from residents in Wimpson Lane, where some households have been waiting for their waste to be collected.
A council spokesperson said the disruption had been caused by a combination of issues, including a national shortage of qualified HGV drivers, unexpected staff sickness and ongoing problems with vehicle reliability.
The spokesperson said: "We would like to apologise to residents who have experienced delays and thank them for their patience while we work to restore the service to normal.
"This disruption has been caused by a combination of factors, including the ongoing national shortage of qualified HGV drivers, unforeseen staff sickness and ongoing vehicle reliability issues."
The council said these pressures had reduced the service’s ability to complete normal collections and had created a backlog of outstanding collections.
READ MORE:
Extra teams collect 30 tonnes of glass amid huge disruption to bin service
Vehicles stopped in Southampton in operation targeting fly-tipping
Above Bar Street in Southampton to reopen after two months of roadworks
Food waste and general waste collections have been prioritised due to the potential hygiene, odour and public health concerns caused by delays.
To tackle the backlog, Southampton City Council said it has introduced additional Saturday collection rounds, with crews working through areas affected by missed collections.
The spokesperson added: "To address this backlog, we are currently completing some additional Saturday rounds with a number of crews collecting glass last Saturday.
"These will continue until we have cleared the current backlog."
Residents who have had glass collections missed have been asked to continue leaving their boxes out, as crews are working through affected areas.
The council has also encouraged residents who are able to do so to use the city’s recycling banks, including newly installed sites at Angel Crescent, Marlborough Road Car Park, Oakbank Road, Green Park and Exford Avenue.
The council said teams are continuing to work through the backlog and thanked residents for their patience while the service returns to its usual schedule.
Share