I wish all Conservative candidates in tomorrow’s local elections well at the polls.
The Council has kept the Council Tax down for the last two years, which has been a welcome relief given the pressure on individual and family budgets.
The new waste scheme is settling in, and provides a new weekly collection of recycling materials, as well as maintaining the weekly collection of other refuse. I hope others are finding as I am that the new blue sacks are large enough and strong enough for the job. The extra recycling collection is a welcome improvement.
We need a Council which will spend wisely, seek value for money in all it does, and keep the bills down. I have as always found it most interesting to hear many views from the doorstep during the campaign.
May 11, 2012
I hope others are finding as I am that the new blue sacks are large enough and strong enough for the job.
Nope, I find that the new blue sacks pathetically thin and tear like tissue paper if you try and fill them even close to capacity.
I guess that since you spend some time each week in your London accommodation (No issue with that) and you do not have kids at home you probably have less rubbish than a family of four, so the bags allocated to you may be sufficient for your needs.
I think that the council neglected to specify the grade of material to be used for the bags, so the contracted firm has gone with the cheapest possible option, regardless of the poor quality.
Reply: My first test week was Easter week when I had guests at home and was catering for them. I expected to have to use two sacks that week,but one did the job. I would nto of course rely on my experience for a wekk when I am here on my own.
June 4, 2012
Hi John,
Regarding rubbish sacks, it turns out that a large number of households, including my own, have been provided with incorrect size sacks.
This is recognized by the council and is now mentioned in their FAQ:
http://www.wokingham.gov.uk/rubbish/waste-changes/household/?locale=en
(See “I think the blue sacks are the wrong size” question)
As is says in the FAQ, you can email them to get the poor quality / size sacks exchanged for the correct ones, that will presumably be of the high quality and capacity of those provided to yourself.
I am not sure that having to arrange to exchange a large number of bags from households around Wokingham represents value for money, I wonder if you could find out who is paying for the costs of this exchange, the council or its contractor?
Reply: A good question which Councillors must sort out for us. I will ask them next time I have a meeting with them to make sure taxpayers are not short changed.