Post by admin on Nov 8, 2006 0:43:27 GMT 1
A VALLEY dad has praised the Free Press for helping to get a rubbish mountain removed from his street.
Bill Holden, of Jackson’s Buildings, in Carr Lane, claims Rossendale Council allowed rubbish to build up for three weeks, attracting rats to the area.
He said binmen ignored the waste, claiming that scaffolding was blocking access to the road preventing their wagon from getting close enough to collect it.
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Mr Holden, worried for his children’s health, contacted the Free Press who flagged the issue up with the council.
And, within 24 hours, the rubbish was taken away.
Commending the Free Press, Mr Holden said: ‘They were completely uninterested until the Free Press got involved.’
But Mr Holden now fears it will pile up again as the scaffolding is expected to remain for at least another three weeks as a neighbour repairs his roof.
Insisting the binmen should remove the waste manually, Mr Holden, who lives with partner Tracey Johnson and children Harry, seven, and three-year-old Lilly-Mae, said: ‘I’ve been onto the binmen and they say they can’t get their wagon past it.
‘They said that we have to bring our rubbish down to the bottom, but the people in these buildings are pensioners.
‘We pay £900 a year council tax and £700 of that goes to the council, so what are we paying our money for?
‘If you don’t pay your council tax they are after you but when you ring up to complain they do not want to know.
‘I asked if we would be getting a rebate and then they just started getting gobby.
‘I’m trying to rent a house there as well and I’m having people coming up to view it – when they see the rubbish they don’t want to know.’
Mr Holden has seen foxes in the area after customers from a nearby kebab shop began throwing food items onto the pile due to the bins being too full.
He said: ‘We’ve got kids in the house and there are rats lurking about outside now.’
A council spokesman said: ‘The refuse collection service has experienced difficulty gaining access to this location due to restricted access.
‘Unfortunately we have been unable to release the specialist small vehicle to address the issue, due to other commitments. We apologise for the inconvenience.’
George Oliver
First published by the Rossendale Free Press
Bill Holden, of Jackson’s Buildings, in Carr Lane, claims Rossendale Council allowed rubbish to build up for three weeks, attracting rats to the area.
He said binmen ignored the waste, claiming that scaffolding was blocking access to the road preventing their wagon from getting close enough to collect it.
Advertisement
Mr Holden, worried for his children’s health, contacted the Free Press who flagged the issue up with the council.
And, within 24 hours, the rubbish was taken away.
Commending the Free Press, Mr Holden said: ‘They were completely uninterested until the Free Press got involved.’
But Mr Holden now fears it will pile up again as the scaffolding is expected to remain for at least another three weeks as a neighbour repairs his roof.
Insisting the binmen should remove the waste manually, Mr Holden, who lives with partner Tracey Johnson and children Harry, seven, and three-year-old Lilly-Mae, said: ‘I’ve been onto the binmen and they say they can’t get their wagon past it.
‘They said that we have to bring our rubbish down to the bottom, but the people in these buildings are pensioners.
‘We pay £900 a year council tax and £700 of that goes to the council, so what are we paying our money for?
‘If you don’t pay your council tax they are after you but when you ring up to complain they do not want to know.
‘I asked if we would be getting a rebate and then they just started getting gobby.
‘I’m trying to rent a house there as well and I’m having people coming up to view it – when they see the rubbish they don’t want to know.’
Mr Holden has seen foxes in the area after customers from a nearby kebab shop began throwing food items onto the pile due to the bins being too full.
He said: ‘We’ve got kids in the house and there are rats lurking about outside now.’
A council spokesman said: ‘The refuse collection service has experienced difficulty gaining access to this location due to restricted access.
‘Unfortunately we have been unable to release the specialist small vehicle to address the issue, due to other commitments. We apologise for the inconvenience.’
George Oliver
First published by the Rossendale Free Press