Concerns about vermin and maggot infestations are growing in Gloucester following multiple missed bin collections, especially during the recent heatwave. City councillors have reported that residents in Barton and Tredworth experienced missed waste pickups just before the bank holiday weekend.
Labour Councillor Roseanna Marshall, representing the affected area, highlighted cases where residents have gone weeks without bin collection. “One resident has not had their bins collected for three weeks,” she explained. “Another resident paying £60 annually for green waste collection on Hopewell Street has had multiple missed pickups this year, including both black waste sacks and green waste last Friday. Given the heatwave, this is likely to worsen problems with waste accumulation, vermin, and maggots in the neighborhood.”
A key concern raised is the difficulty in reporting missed collections via the council’s website. Residents attempting to log issues after 4 pm encounter messages stating it’s either too early or too late to report problems. Marshall also pointed out gaps in communication between Gloucester City Council and Ubico, the waste management contractor, leaving some residents uninformed about cancellations.
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Local resident Judy Cera shared her frustrations after refuse and garden waste were missed on Friday. Attempts to report the issue online were met with conflicting messages, and despite council assurances of collection by Monday or Tuesday, the waste remained uncollected as of Monday evening. “I have spent the bank holiday weekend gardening but now have no place to put the waste,” Cera said. She added that this is not an isolated issue, recalling repeated missed collections and the need to file formal complaints despite paying extra for the garden waste service. “The council needs to sort this out and improve the online system for reporting missed collections,” she urged.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Sebastian Field, cabinet member for environment, acknowledged the problems some residents have faced but stressed that missed collections are rare. “Ubico closely monitors missed pickups, maintaining a 99.9% on-time collection rate across the city,” he stated. Field encouraged residents and councillors to report waste-related issues through official channels and assured that the council takes every complaint seriously, working to improve services based on resident feedback.