Bulky waste collection issues

[LordshipLaneResident]

Has anyone had any issues with bulky waste collection, or know how to rectify?

This is a paid service from the council. I organised a collection for 5th January. No-one turned up, and there was no communication from them. I left it 24 hours then reported a missed collection (as per instructions on the site). Then waited 3 working days for a response (as per instructions) but nothing came back.

I tried calling the environment team at the council but they said this was only an online service(!) so they couldn't speak to me about it.

I raised a complaint and they said there was a vehicle blocking access (though this has never been an issue in 6 years of living here) and they'd collect. But still nothing - and no clue as to when they might collect it.

Has anyone had similar issues/know what to do next? The neighbours aren't best pleased with me.

[jamesmcash]

Hi LordshipLaneResident

If you're a Goose Green resident, please email me on James.McAsh@southwark.gov.uk with your address and any ref code and I'll look into it asap.

If not, you can find your councillor here: https://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/mgFindMember.aspx?

And, as you know, we're hosting a community meeting to all issues about waste. Next Tuesday at 7pm. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/CleanerED

Best wishes

James

[oliviaandmilo]

Interesting I had one booked in a while back after having paid ?25. On the day they failed to collect , 2 days later I emailed them and got an email back to say it was left in an unsafe manner. I emailed them back with a couple of pictures and told them to tell me how are the items left unsafe and what's happened to my money.( I had no response that time) About 10 days later the things were taken!!!

[trinidad]

I think the best metrhod is to use the councils complaints policy, demand an explanation and compensation. Progress through the two complaint stages and then raise with the local ombudsman. I dont think this area of work is very good in the council. I lewft my food waste out recently, it was not collected, i sent an email to enviroment, and was advised the operative could not find it. I sent pictures of the container on top of the bin, have heard noithing so far from the council, will wait eight weeks and will send to the ombudsman, southwark do not care

[LordshipLaneResident]

Hi Trinidad - I have tried several times to leave another complaint. They don't answer the phones - just a holding message saying it's too busy then the phone line goes dead.

OliviaandMilo - yes, this seems to be the norm unfortunately, my inbox has a lot of similar messages!

Dulwichlass - absolutely nothing happened at the community meeting regarding waste, of any substance. I cancelled my plans to go to it, told them what had happened with my (lack of) collection, which they already knew about because I'd emailed them. They made all the right noises - sorry it's happened, they'll action it etc etc. Still sitting outside, and no-one will answer my emails asking what's happening with it.

Luckily the elections are coming up, I really can't see what power any of these people have but the system is a complete mess.

[rachp]

Hi Dulwichlass, the meeting only covered specific cases raised by people on the call, and even then we ran of time (there were a lot of issues raised). I don?t think there was much in the way of clear answers offered, it was more of an exercise in issue gathering, for one of the senior officers to go away and look into them and hopefully, come back with some resolutions or solutions (at least that was what I took from it). Given that you are talking about a very specific scenario, I would contact your councillors (if it?s goose green, James McAsh), and ask them to investigate. Have they broken a rule or are you challenging the rule they have in place?

[trinidad]

do you know the date when you submitted the second stage of the complaint process (review stage)? did you receive a acknowledgement for the second stage?

[trinidad]

ok, there is quite simple then, the response time for second stage complaints is five weeks, clearly the council has failed to respond within that time, so you should now contact the local government ombudsman

[CPR Dave]

this is all appalling

[LordshipLaneResident]

An update! My issue was finally sorted, yesterday afternoon. Huge relief. It was three weeks late and that level of stress, and giving up time to attend meetings, send emails and sit on hold, is not something anyone booking a service should be expected to do to get action. But James McAsh sent a chaser email to the relevant person and it is now, finally, sorted.

Good luck with your review trinidad and DulwichLass and thank you for sharing your experiences on the thread, I really hope someone looking at these will realise there is a much bigger problem that needs looking at if we want to sort the waste issues.

[trinidad]

I received a call from veolia yesterday, apologising so i am happy now. Still think LB Southwark delt with this badly :( glad your all sorted now