“I can’t believe we haven’t seen rats yet.” This is the bleak observation from a resident of Navigation Drive in Kings Norton, Birmingham, as the impact of the ongoing bin strike grows increasingly severe.
According to the resident, the bins in her area have not been emptied since Christmas, leaving rubbish to accumulate for weeks. She describes the situation as “getting worse every day,” with the shared bin area for approximately 20 flats overflowing with waste.
While bin collectors have been seen servicing individual houses nearby, they appear to be neglecting the apartment blocks' bins. The resident recounts, “We see them arrive, but they just carry on without looking at the flats’ bins. It feels like this part of the community is forgotten.”
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The pile of bin bags has now grown taller than the resident herself, and concerns about pests are rising. “Cats have begun tearing open the bags, and we’re worried rats might soon follow,” she warns. Despite reporting the issue to the council, she says no response has been received.
In response, Birmingham City Council’s environment chief, Councillor Majid Mahmood, expressed regret over the situation, apologizing for the inconvenience caused. He assured residents that waste teams plan to visit Navigation Drive over the weekend to evaluate the missed collections from the apartment blocks.
Councillor Mahmood acknowledged the ongoing industrial action but emphasized that the council’s contingency plan aims to provide at least one waste collection per week for all residents. He highlighted improvements in service despite the strike, noting a 52% reduction in missed collections and a 22% increase in tonnage collected per employee compared to prior levels.
As the strike continues, residents like those on Navigation Drive hope for swift action to restore regular bin collections and alleviate the mounting waste problem in their community.