WASTE AND RECYCLING COLLECTIONS SUSPENDED

Waste and recycling collections across Thanet have been suspended for today (Thursday 7 January), due to the poor weather conditions.

Although the main roads in the area are fairly clear, the footways are very icy and dangerous. The side roads, on which the vast majority of homes are located, remain extremely treacherous.

Priority will now be given to collecting today's missed waste collections next week (Thursday 14 January). Those due to have their rubbish or recycling collected today should only put out their non-recyclable household rubbish next Thursday.

Waste and recycling staff will be coming into work tomorrow morning (Friday 8 January) at 5.30am, as they did this morning, but there is serious doubt whether waste collections tomorrow will be possible. Unless conditions dramatically improve overnight, it is very unlikely that waste and recycling will be collected tomorrow. A final decision will be made tomorrow morning. Updates will be put on the council's website at www.thanet.gov.uk and given to the local media as soon as a decision is made.

Residents who were due to have either their rubbish or recycling collected today are asked to take their wheeled bins or black bags back into their properties and put it out again next Thursday (14 January). The council will also be collecting any additional waste that day. For those on the wheeled bin scheme, only rubbish in the black lidded wheeled bin will be collected next Thursday.

The council will be aiming to put additional resources next week into areas that have missed collections this week to ensure that we can deal with the extra rubbish. The council has also been trying to assist Kent County Council in treating key locations across Thanet.

Cllr. Shirley Tomlinson, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, said: "Although many of the main roads in Thanet are clear, the issue we've got is that most of the houses we collect from are on the smaller, more minor roads. As many people will be aware from first-hand experience this morning, these roads are still icy and very treacherous. The pavements are also exceptionally dangerous and even more so, when staff are trying to deal with wheeled bins and carry black bags. Anyone who's been out walking today will be aware of how slippery it is under foot.

"We have to think of the safety, both of our staff and our residents, before we send our trucks out on the roads. These are all 26 ton trucks and you can imagine how much damage they could do in icy conditions. Our staff came in at 5.30am this morning and I'd like to thank them for coming in and waiting for so many hours to see if they could get out or not. They've been willing and able, but the weather just hasn't cooperated with us at all."

She added: "We are keeping a very close eye on weather conditions and I'd like to take this opportunity to assure residents that, if we can safely collect waste and recycling, then we will do so. However, safety always comes first for the council and if there is any danger to anyone, then we won't risk collecting. Our aim is to catch up on collections next week, if at all possible, and we are hopeful that weather conditions will improve and allow us to do that."

Residents who have collections on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday have, to date, been unaffected by the adverse weather. As a result, black sacks for those not on a wheeled bin round should be put out as normal on your usual day of collection next week. For those on wheeled bin rounds, they should refer to their wheeled bin collection calendar and put out the correct bin on their usual day of collection, as specified on their calendars. You can also check your collection details online on the council's website at http://www.thanet.gov.uk/databases/refuse/