Issues affecting bin collections across the borough have been brought under control thanks to changes at the waste contractor.

Towards the end of last year there were frequent complaints about the quality of the waste collection service in Maidstone, with reports of disruption caused by vehicle breakdowns, traffic congestion, staff sickness and driver shortage.

The problems led to Maidstone Borough Council to issue an apology to residents.

At the height of the disruption an average of around 10 to 15 rounds were delayed each week - around 15 per cent of the total number of collections. In some cases bin lorries were unable to access homes to collect waste due to parked cars blocking the way.

The issues came to a head close to Christmas, but changes at the top of Biffa, the firm contracted to deal with refuse collection in Maidstone, are credited with improving the service since then.

A report prepared for tonight’s meeting of the borough council's communities, housing and environment committee acknowledges that things went wrong, but the issues are now largely rectified.

It states: “Last autumn/winter there were considerable service issues, primarily caused by continual vehicle breakdowns.

“This caused delays in areas across the borough in collecting waste and recycling from properties. The contractor was required to operate a catch-up service on most weekends over this period.”

The report goes on to explain the changes at Biffa which have got things back on track. They include a new leadership team, improved vehicle maintenance and escalation of problems to higher management within the company.

It concludes: “These changes confirm a complete management revamp over the last five months. Fundamental service issues being raised by the client councils are being considered and actioned at a much higher level within the contractor’s organisation.”

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