Residents are blitzing waste managers with more than 1,000 calls a day as a new fortnightly rubbish collection scheme is rolled out.

Opposition Conservative councillor Matthew Barber has been inundated with complaints from residents across the Vale of White Horse since the scheme started on October 4.

The Vale council launched the new system for 51,000 householder after linking up with contractor Verdant, following a £2.2m investment.

Council leaders admitted some residents had to wait until the last minute for wheelie bins to be delivered, while complaints and queries about the new system have prompted more than 1,000 phone calls a day to the Verdant call centre and the council.

Calls have ranged from people seeking advice on what items should go in what bin, to residents reporting missed bins and deliveries. Fifteen staff, five from the contractors and 10 from the council, have been fielding the calls.

Yesterday, the council said it was confident Verdant would get it right.

But Mr Barber claimed the roll-out of the new system had upset residents across the district. He added: “We always expected a few teething problems, but what we have seen over the past few weeks is so much worse than we were led to expect.

“Residents in West Hanney, East Hendred and Shrivenham didn’t get their bins on time.

“In some places where residents were asked to leave out black bags because they had not yet received their bins, the message was not passed on to the contractor.

“Staff then left labels on the bags saying black bags would no longer be collected, although they did pick them up eventually.”

Abingdon mum Claire McCauley, 33, said she had to wait until Monday for contractors to deliver her new bins and take 10 bin bags following the previous collection on September 28.

Ms McCauley, who lives off Spring Road, said her neighbour’s rubbish was collected on October 8 but binmen missed her out and she made repeated calls to the council and the contractors.

She said: “I am looking forward to recycling more but I think the way the new system has been introduced has been pretty chaotic.

“Verdant and the council were telling people that every household in the area had had their bins delivered when that was clearly not the case.

“I suppose I could have driven the rubbish to the tip but the rubbish was quite smelly and I didn’t want to have to load it into the car.”

In Charney Bassett, residents were told their collection day was Wednesday, but then the contractors came on Monday instead.

Jenny Hannaby, executive member for commercial services, said: “There were a few properties where black sacks were left out for longer than would have been ideal.

“Once crews received this information the majority of black sacks were collected from the individual properties the following day.

“So far the new service has, on the whole, been a success, with residents putting the right bins out on the right day.”

Council leader Tony de Vere added: “I am confident that Verdant will get it right.”

Mr Barber said: “The roll-out has been quite chaotic and we will continue to monitor the situation and try to help residents.

“Some Liberal Democrat councillors have been congratulating each other on the smooth transition of the service, but that’s going too far.”

  • If you have a complaint or query call 03000 610610.