Brown bin is not collected for FIVE MONTHS

South Hams resident has been trying to get her brown bin collected for FIVE MONTHS. 

Margaret Douglas MBE, who runs the Erme Valley Riding for the Disabled Association, has been trying to get her brown recycling bins collected by South Hams District Council for five months. 

Margaret said: "Every two weeks this problem has been reported by phone to SHDC, and every week I receive a reference number, every week, they tell me the case is closed. Eight weeks ago I thought I was making headway, I was given a level one complaints number but it was not to be, when I emailed this the reply was 'we don’t look at this often'.

"I was enlightened by a friend that you had to be a level two complaint before anyone took any notice, this certainly appears to be true."

Margaret originally thought the problem stemmed from having four addresses listed for the one property on the SHDC website for reporting missed collections, but having reduced that down to two, the problem was still occurring. She said: "Then there is the fact that I am informed my collection day was going to change to a Monday in October 2020 and that’s when the problem started.

"Recently when I have reported missed collections, the reason given to me has been that the bins were not left out! They have been in the same place for the last twenty years!"

What makes everything more confusing is that her recycling bags and grey bins are collected without issue, it is just the brown bin that is being missed off. 

We contacted SHDC more than a week ago to ask for a statement or explanation about this but they have not yet responded. In some good news though, Margaret's brown bin was collected on Thursday this week, fingers crossed its a sign of things to come. 

Main image: Margaret Douglas MBE and her uncollected brown bin