STAFF shortages, M5 traffic, extreme weather and vehicle vandalism have all contributed to a rise in missed bin collections in Somerset.

Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP), which is responsible for waste management across the county, has published statistics on collections between April and June this year, compared to the same period in 2017.

The figures show the number of missed refuse collections had risen by more than one-third on the previous year, with missed recycling collections up more than 50 per cent.

The SWP has said that the level of missed collections has fallen since June and that it is working with collections contractor Kier to improve performance.

A breakdown of the missed collections came before a meeting of the Somerset Waste Board in Taunton.

Between April and June 2018 more than 2,200 refuse collections were missed – a rise of 33 per cent on the same period in 2017.

In the same three-month period in 2018, more than 1,800 garden waste collections were missed – a rise of nearly 20 per cent.

Most damningly, more than 4,500 recycling and food waste collections were missed – a rise of more than 55 per cent on the previous year.

Repeated missed collections numbered more than 5,837 – a rise of just over 26 per cent.

In his written report, managing director Mickey Green said there were ‘continuing challenges facing the collection service’, citing the ageing vehicle fleet and staff shortages as the main culprits.

He added: “Whilst vehicle breakdown and weather were factors, the major contributing factor to the level of performance is the shortages of staff – in particular drivers – that our contractor has experienced, in particular at their Taunton depot.

“Although we appreciate the difficulties within the sector, the quality of service in this quarter was unacceptable.

“We have imposed contractual penalties on Kier, and have worked closely with Kier to address the driver shortage and other issues impacting upon service quality.

“Kier’s response to the driver shortage is now starting to bear fruit, but we continue to work closely with them to address both their overall level of performance and their performance in specific areas of the service.”

Contracts manager Colin Mercer said there had been ‘increased thefts’ from the contractor’s depots, including fuel and batteries.

He added: “We have seen an increase in vandalism and damage to the vehicle fleet at Bridgwater, amounting to tens of thousands of pounds.”

An SWP spokesman said it would continue to work with Kier to address the problems which had caused missed collections.

The spokesman said: “Staff shortages, traffic hold-ups on the M5, truck breakdowns, vehicle vandalism and extremes of weather – from snow and ice to sustained high temperatures – are all among the wide range of factors that have contributed to missed collections.

“While the context is of many millions of completed pick-ups, the missed collection figures – especially the recent rise over those of a year earlier – are unacceptable, and we have taken hard and fast action to correct this.”

The SWP and Kier are working to attracted more drivers, including offering bonuses and targeting ex-military personnel.

Crews are starting earlier in hot weather, and more repair and maintenance of vehicles is being carried out at weekends, to allow the largest number of trucks to be operational during the week as possible.

The spokesman added: “With these steps and others, performance has already improved.

“Further advances in reliability are coming in communications, technology and training with the new contractor and recycling vehicle fleet in the run up to the 2020 Recycle More collections of extra weekly recycling and three-weekly rubbish collections.”

DANIEL MUMBY

Local democracy reporter