Waste and Recycling Collections

One EHDC service seriously affected was the collection of refuse and recycling bins. Blocked and impassable roads meant many crews were unable to get to the depots to begin their shifts, while those that made it could not safely take the trucks out onto the snow and ice.

Brian Turner, EHDC’s Environmental Contracts Manager, said the harsh conditions last year helped the council sharpen its response to potential future service interruptions. “What we did last year, and what we will do again if we have a repeat this winter, is concentrate our efforts on collecting perishable refuse first and then catch up with rounds of recyclables, green waste and glass as we can,” he said. “We understand that keeping hold of recyclables for an extra week or fortnight, especially after Christmas, can pose a storage issue for residents but we think that it’s more important to clear people’s refuse and food waste first than suffer the inconvenience of having to store recyclables.”

Hampshire County Council are also making plans to minimise the impact of more heavy snow this winter and are in the process of stockpiling enough salt to cover the pitch at Wembley two metres deep. Despite this the county council’s road gritting programme will necessarily focus on the main roads which carry the bulk of Hampshire’s traffic. Mr Turner said bin collections can only go ahead on roads that are safely passable, so residents of rural areas may have to be patient. “We operate a lot of rural collections on narrow and sometimes steep roads which can be challenging at the best of times for heavy refuse vehicles, so if we are faced with poor visibility and treacherous surface conditions we will assess the overall risks and postpone collections, but only if absolutely necessary,” he said. “We have to be entirely confident that we are not putting employees and the general public into any danger by taking heavy vehicles into snow and icy conditions, but we will remain flexible in our approach and will of course make collections in areas that may be less badly affected.”

 If the snow falls…

• If you have to travel, be very careful. Look out for older neighbours. Stay in, tune into local radio and websites such as www.easthampshire.org

• Bin collection crews will be working hard to catch up on missed rounds. Look for advice on www.easthampshire.org. If your collection is missed leave out your green refuse bin and it will be collected as soon as possible.

• Hampshire County Council is responsible for gritting and clearing roads. They will concentrate on A roads. More information will be found on www.hants.gov.uk

• For non-emergency calls about potentially vulnerable older people, contact Hampshire County Council on 0845 603 5633.