WASTE AND RECYCLING COLLECTIONS SUSPENDED - THURSDAY 11 FEBRUARY

Waste and recycling collections across Thanet have been suspended today (Thursday 11 February), due to the poor weather conditions.

The heavy snow overnight has left both main roads and side roads across the district exceptionally treacherous. Some of the council's waste and recycling collection crews have been unable to make it into the depot this morning from their homes, due to the snow.

Conditions are so bad that the council has been unable to get even the smaller refuse trucks out on the roads that it was able to use during the last period of bad weather in January. A skeleton crew is being kept on hand and, if conditions improve, these small trucks will go out to collect black sacks.

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 (18 February). For residents who use black bags, a double collection will be undertaken next Thursday, so householders are asked not to leave black bags out on pavements.

For those on the wheeled bin rounds who have missed their collections today, they are being asked to put both their bins out next Thursday. Priority will be given to ensuring that those homes who missed their waste collection this week have it taken next week, although the council will be working to ensure that both bins are picked up. From the following week (Thursday 25 February), collections will return to normal, as per the wheeled bin calendar. You can check these details on the council's website at http://www.thanet.gov.uk/databases/refuse/

Cllr. Shirley Tomlinson, Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, said: "Once again, our waste and recycling crews have done their best to get into work, but the weather has not allowed them to get out on the rounds. As many people across Thanet will be aware, the conditions out on the roads are pretty treacherous and we simply cannot risk sending out our refuse trucks in these conditions. As we've said before, the last thing we want is an accident and I'm sure residents can understand that. I'd like to thank them for their patience during this time. As soon as it is safe for our teams to go out, they will be back out collecting again."

Waste and recycling staff will be coming into work tomorrow morning (Friday 12 February), but there is some doubt over whether waste collections tomorrow will be possible, as conditions will need to significantly improve during the course of today. 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.