Listen, we just don’t want these wheelies! (From Malvern Gazette)

Listen, we just don’t want these wheelies!

8:40am Friday 11th January 2013 in News By Tarik Al Rasheed

A MALVERN councillor has delivered a stinging attack on the decision to introduce wheelie bins into Malvern, saying the interests of people living in the town have been “totally disregarded”.

Mike Charles, a member of Malvern Town Council, said he had been inundated with complaints about the decision to introduce wheelie bins and fortnightly collections for recycling from this spring.

Malvern Hills District Council announced the new arrangements late last year after receiving £1.67 million government funding.

But Councillor Charles slammed the change when he addressed council members at their latest meeting.

He told them he had lived in Malvern for 76 years and never felt the need to come and speak to them before.

“But for the last few weeks I have been inundated with phone calls. I usually get one call from residents a month but this last month I have had 79, all about wheelie bins. A great number of my constituents are extremely perturbed and annoyed.”

Coun Charles said he could still remember previous experiments with wheelie bins in Malvern, calling them a “fiasco”.

“People had their bins running away down the hill and it was a complete and utter disaster,” he said.

Coun Bronwen Behan, responsible for environmental services at the district council, said a meeting would be held with Coun Charles to discuss his concerns. She said wheelie bins were the best method of adding glass to recycling collections and their introduction was after careful public consultation.

“Most importantly, collecting recycling in this way will enable the council to continue to provide weekly black sack rubbish collections, something residents consider very important,” she said.

“We are confident wheeled bins will work very well for recycling collections from the majority of households.”