Friday 3 December 2010

WASTE COLLECTIONS SUSPENDED FOR THE DAY

Waste and recycling collections in Thanet have been completely suspended for the second day running (Friday 3 December) due to exceptionally icy conditions.

Once again, as happened yesterday (Thursday 2 December), the council’s team of refuse collectors were able to get into the council’s depot, but it was impossible to get any of the fleet of trucks out. The council will instead try and use four by four wheeled vehicles to collect any black sacks that are out and in danger of splitting open.

If you are on a wheeled bin collection and were due to have your waste or recycling collected yesterday or today, please keep your bin outside. The council’s refuse crews will try to get out to people from early next week, as soon as weather allows.

There are only a few black sack and no blue recycling bag collections due today. If you were due for a collection today, please keep your black sacks inside and put it out on your normal waste collection day next week. With paper and cardboard collections, please take these inside and keep them until the next scheduled collection.

Mark Seed, Director of Environmental Services, said: “Our crews were at our depot early this morning, waiting to see if they could get out on collections today. However, the conditions are simply too dangerous to risk using any of our freighters, even the smaller ones. Sadly, despite our patience, the conditions are showing no sign of improving, so we’ve had no choice but to suspend collections for the second day running.”

Council teams spent the day yesterday trying to keep the area as safe as possible. The council’s tractor unit was out helping Kent County Council, who are responsible for gritting the roads, by clearing the entrance roads around Margate fire station and the QEQM Hospital, as well as some bus stops. This work will continue today.

A large group of drivers, street sweepers and refuse loaders cleared the road into, and the public areas around the Crematorium, so that funerals could continue. The grounds maintenance team spread a total of around 10 tons of a salt and sand mixture in town centres, while town centre street cleaners concentrated on ensuring litter bins were emptied.

Latest updates on disruption to collections are available on the council’s website at www.thanet.gov.uk and by calling 01843 577115. For full details of the gritting service being provided in Thanet, please visit Kent County Council’s website at www.kent.gov.uk or call 08458 247 247.

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