Residents across Sutton Coldfield and north Birmingham have been left frustrated and concerned after the council implemented a fortnightly rubbish collection schedule amid an unprecedented 18-month bin strike. This change has led to overflowing waste piles accumulating on streets and outside homes within days of the new system’s introduction.
Many locals describe the scheme as “shambolic” and warn that it is worsening the city’s waste crisis. In areas like Falcon Lodge, part of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield and home to Premier League footballers, residents report growing mounds of decomposing rubbish attracting rats, foxes, and insects. Homeowners are calling for either larger bins or a return to weekly collections to address the issue.
Gareth Copplestone-Jones, a 69-year-old IT consultant and grandfather from Falcon Lodge, expressed his concerns: “The fortnightly collections will be a big problem, especially for larger families. The area is already messy, and with collections being delayed, it’s only going to get worse. Bin bags scattered across roads pose health hazards and attract pests like rats and ants.”
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The issue extends to communal waste bins in flats, which are quickly filling and overflowing, exacerbating the situation. Meanwhile, recycling services remain suspended, forcing residents to handle their own recycling disposal.
Compounding the confusion, a food waste collection crew arrived last week before residents had even received their food waste bins, adding to the complaints about poor scheduling. Father-of-one Phil Sawyer voiced his frustration: “It’s a stinking mess here. We’ve had no recycling for 18 months, and now rubbish is piling up everywhere. The food waste vans showed up before the boxes were even delivered. It’s disgusting and they shouldn’t have started this during the strike.”
Conservative Councillor Richard Parkin also criticized the council’s handling of the pilot scheme in a social media video, highlighting the lack of consultation and the negative impact on flats: “They went ahead without talking to councillors. It’s an absolute disgrace and the fortnightly collections outside flats are not working. The council has let everyone down.”
The current fortnightly collection pilot is being introduced by the new minority coalition of the Green Party, Liberal Democrats, and Better Birmingham Independent Group following Labour’s loss in May’s elections. Birmingham City Council had announced the wider waste improvement pilot starting June 30, building on a previously successful food waste trial.
Concerns remain as residents await clearer solutions amid ongoing disputes between the council and the Unite union, which claims a strike resolution was reached in March but remains unaccepted by the council.