New figures have revealed 165 missed bin collections in a dozen roads in Wallasey over the last 12 months.
Data requested by councillors Ian Lewis and Lesley Rennie followed months of complaints from people living between Seaview Road and Rolleston Drive in the town.
The missed collections, of green and grey bins, between July 2022 and June 2023, were reported by residents to the Council but with little or no improvement to the service.
The roads affected are Princesway, Oldfield Road, Tilston Road, Broxton Road, Shelton Road, Treforris Road, Gerard Avenue, Glebe Road, Thornton Road, Allerton Road, Meddowcroft Road and Hamlet Road.
Councillor Ian Lewis said: “166 reports in a year should surely have triggered an investigation by the council and action by Biffa. Instead, the problem continues.
“This is, above all, a failure to manage and deliver the contract. The residents are paying for a service that, too often, is hit and miss.
“Yes, these are narrow roads but there are lots of narrow roads around Wallasey and they don’t seem to have the same problems.
“Two years ago, we suggested Biffa deploy their narrower bin wagons if the width of the roads was an issue.”
“Our investigations confirm that the Council has been aware of this problem but has so far, been unable to sort it.”
Councillor Lesley Rennie added: “It seems for Wirral Council the hardest word is ‘sorry’. Instead, taxpayers have been given waffle.”
Both councillors are now calling for the management of the contract to be reviewed by the Council’s Audit & Risk Management Committee.
Councillor Rennie added: “The Council’s own auditor has raised concerns about poor contract management across the Council.
“Residents in parts of Wallasey are the ones who are paying the price for whatever the problems are within the management of this contract.”
“Since April, Wirral Council has paid Biffa more than £4.3 million for waste services. You’d think with that size of contract, emptying bins in a dozen roads in Wallasey wouldn’t be that difficult.”
Missed bin collections can be reported via this link: https://www.wirral.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling/report-bin-problem/missed-bin-collection
