A district council is proposing changes to some of its waste collections to prevent the risk of spending unnecessary money on damage caused by the disrepair of the area’s private and unadopted roads.
At Operational Services Committee on 18th November, East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) members unanimously voted to approve a plan which would review waste collections for 2,249 properties which are located on unadopted and private roads.
These roads across the district – owned by individuals or organisations and not the responsibility of Cambridgeshire County Council – have fallen into a state of disrepair, causing damage to refuse trucks.
As a result, ECDC has been picking up increased bills for vehicle maintenance and repair.
The homeowners living on the affected roads will be receiving a letter from the council which will outline the new arrangements and invite them to liaise with the council to come to an agreed resolution.
East Cambs Street Scene, who are responsible for the delivery of waste services for East Cambridgeshire, will continue to provide unchanged collections for the short-term to allow residents time to review the letter from the council and respond.
David Ambrose-Smith, Chairman of the Operational Services Committee, said: “We are committed to delivering a weekly waste collection service for all residents however there have been some problems with providing this service to people who live on poorly-maintained private or unadopted roads.
“Potholes, overgrown trees, flooding, debris, gravel and cracks all contribute to damage to our vehicles which are expensive to repair.
It is also important for us to ensure that waste collections are undertaken with the safety of the East Cambs Street Scene team and residents in mind.”
Councillor Julia Huffer, champion for waste services, added: “Homeowners who are affected will be notified with a letter from the council regarding the action required.
“This letter will outline the options they have for their waste to be collected. We are keen to work with residents to find an amicable agreement where possible.”
A policy for waste collection will be sent to all 2,249 properties who live on a private or unadopted road. This details the conditions which need to be met for the road to be a suitable standard for waste collections to continue to take place from the property boundary.
Majority of properties are located on roads that are already at this standard and the council requires an indemnity form to be signed to continue collections in the same way.
Three roads, comprising of 48 properties, will require some work to be undertaken before they are at a suitable standard. If they are repaired to the conditions stated waste collections from the property boundary are possible. If the road is not repaired to a suitable standard, the council will work with residents to find an agreed collection point close to the highway.
Press release from East Cambridgeshire District Council
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