STAFF at Glasgow City Council have failed to collect more than 2700 waste bins from homes across the city since last summer.

Figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request reveal that in May 2019 at least 253 bins were not collected. The worst month was January this year when 314 bins did not get uplifted.

The problem appears to be worse in the Govan ward with 135 complaints made to the local authority regarding the issue since June 2018.

Partick West and Drumchapel/Anniesland residents have also filed hundreds of concerns with the council with 120 and 108 problems disclosed respectively in the last 12 months.

In the same time frame Baillieston residents only lodged 17 complaints with the local authority and Newlands/Auldburn 55.

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At a recent meeting council staff said 73 per cent of people across Glasgow were satisfied with the refuse collection services. At the time Newlands/Auldburn councillor Kyle Thornton questioned the figure.

He said: “I get emails and phone calls almost daily about parks not being cut or bins being emptied.

“I have constituents who are now in the middle of week six without being collected. We can replace as many bins as we like but if we can’t empty them then what is the point?”

Govan councillor John Kane echoed some of the concerns raised by Cllr Thornton.

Mr Kane said: “I too get pretty frustrated that we still seem to have ongoing issues with street cleaning and refuse collection. I know that the figures show that there is been a reduction in the satisfaction of our residents over the last couple of years.

“What did strike me as a bit odd is that absence seems to be referred to on a regular basis as part of the explanation for a problem.”

Glasgow City Council delivers a seven-day waste and recycling service to 305,000 domestic households and around 5000 commercial customers.

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A report issued by council officers states that there is an 83 per cent customer satisfaction level with recycling centres with an 83 per cent satisfaction rate for the upkeep of playparks.

Councillor Thornton, who has voiced his concerns on the topic frequently, has again questioned the findings of the FOI and feels that residents are complaining more to councillors rather than officials who deal with the problem.

He said: “I would like to know how the council measure these figures.

“Fifty-five missed bin collections in 12 months just does not seem right. The figure seems too low particularly with the anecdotal evidence from residents.

“I would imagine the community are continuing to report on issues especially with the blue and the grey bin.

“The green bin which is for general waste is prioritised which I understand but they are empty and the others are not.”

The FOI also disclosed that 137 missed bin collections were not linked to a specific ward.

Mr Thornton continued: “These figures will be for across the city, but I would imagine the problem in Newlands/Auldburn will contribute to them.

“I receive at least one complaint a week about bins not being emptied on time. Many residents hope they will be collected at a later date but they aren’t. In the last two months there seems to have been an increase in complaints.

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“One close in my ward opted to get rid of their grey food bin because it wasn’t getting emptied on a regular basis and was attracting vermin. The smell was also a factor.”

The local authority will list the problem it faces with bin collection days on its website. Residents are advised to use any spare capacity in their bin until the next scheduled collection.

A spokesman said: “We undertake over 21 million household bin collections every year and more than 99.9 per cent of collections are completed satisfactorily.

“Our cleansing team operates a highly efficient collection system, but there are occasions when collections are missed due to a range of factors.

“Difficulties with access to streets for refuse vehicles, no access to bin courts such as when a lock on a close door has been changed, recycling bins contaminated with general waste, a mechanical issue with equipment and illness within a crew can all affect collections.

“However, we do understand the inconvenience that a missed collection can cause, particularly in relation to kerbside collections.

“If a collection is missed we always look to resolve the matter as soon as possible.”