Bins: Statement from the Chief Executive

I attended the Cabinet Meeting on Wednesday night, at which the Chief Executive read this statement:

"I would like, on behalf of the council staff, to apologise to any resident who has been concerned about any aspect of the new system and to any councillors who may have felt ill-informed when dealing with questions and queries from residents and the media."

She added: "In designing the information packs we omitted to give any explanation about the chip identification system. This was a mistake, but it was not intentional.

"With hindsight, it is clear that this additional information might have helped reassure those residents who had concerns and could have avoided misleading statements that have appeared recently in the press and wider media."

Her statement goes on to confirm that the council will not be pursuing nor seeking payment for chips that have been removed or destroyed.

The fact remains though that there has still been no apology from the decision makers, indeed the cabinet members continued to present various of their decisions as 'good news stories' even when they patently were not. More about some of this later.

The main point is that the Council Administration should admit responsibility and apologise for this fiasco. It's for this reason Bournemouth's Conservatives will be introducing this motion to the Council on Tuesday evening:


'This Council deplores the way the new waste collection service has been implemented, and resolves the following:

a) that the Leader of the Council apologises to residents for inadequate communications, particularly concerning the chips in the new bins;

b) that the Cabinet considers as a matter of urgency the introduction of an enhanced green waste collection service; and

c) that the review of the service be undertaken and be reported on in February 2007 (six months after the introduction of the new arrangements).'