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A furious homeowner has slammed waste collectors for failing to empty his bin "because the lid was slightly open". Mark Welsh claimed the bin was left untouched because its lid was slightly ajar by "one or two inches" - despite containing four weeks of household rubbish. He said his bin was one of two in his Llandudno street that went uncollected last week - all others were emptied. Subsequent attempts to re-arrange collection have so far drawn a blank, he claimed. "I pay over £3,000 a year in council tax," he fumed. "We now have to wait another month for the next collection. Makes my blood boil - it's petty and pathetic." Conwy Council has a "Closed Lid Policy" - collection crews won't collect wheelie bins that are overflowing and the lid cannot fully close. Neither will they take bags or items left next to wheelie bins. The authority said some collections were missed last Thursday because of problems with its refuse vehicle. Mark stressed that all other bins on his street were collected apart from two with lids not fully closed. The issue has again inflamed residents who opposed the council's switch to four-weekly bin collections in September 2018, arguing it would lead to overflowing bins and fly-tipping - especially in other people's wheelie bins. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Online, a resident said the policy needs reconsidering. "If you can't close the lid due to having too much waste over the four weeks then what are you supposed to do? It should be every 2 weeks at the very least." Conwy Council says excess waste should be taken to a recycling centre. Conwy's four-weekly policy has boosted the county's recycling rates to 70% but critics believe there should be a degree of tolerance when it comes to bin presentation. This includes greater consistency between collection crews. On social media, one man said bins are left out near him with lids near "vertical" and yet were still collected. Another pointed out: "When I lived in Deganwy they were brilliant. Living in Rhos on Sea is a total different story. They just should act normal and empty them." One resident claimed that, for various reasons, his bin has not been collected for six months. Sometimes it's rejected for containing dog poo bags tossed inside by passing walkers, or the wind blows open the lid and rain gets inside, he said. "Six months without a collection and we pay over £5,000 in council tax a year," he fumed. A common online solution for overflowing bins is compaction – one woman gets her son to stand in her bin each month to push down her rubbish. Another resident said this is what he did after he forgot to put his bin out for collection. "Got two months worth of rubbish to fit in it," he said. "The bin weighed a ton!" Standing in unstable wheelie bins is unlikely to be recommended by the council given the health and safety risks. But the local authority said bins shouldn't get too heavy anyway if residents are recycling properly. "It will only contain light, non-recyclable materials such as plastic film," said the council on its website. Mark informed Conwy Council and was assured his non-collection would be resolved. But by Wednesday, October 29, his bin had remained uncollected five days after the complaint was raised. Residents have different experiences with the council's Customer Service Team, with some reporting pleasant staff and efficient responses. Others are less positive. One woman said she is still waiting for a missed collection to be remediated after three weeks, three emails and four phone calls. "I've put a formal complaint to the council," she added. Another is having a similar experience after a missed collection last week. "My bins were missed on Wednesday - or rather, just not emptied, as we had roadworks outside the house. Filled in the form on Wednesday and called. Bins still full and on the main road." Conwy Council said some black bin collections in Llandudno were missed on Thursday, October 23, due to "issues with our vehicle". A spokesperson added: "When collections are missed, we ask that residents report the missed collection and leave their black bin out for collection as normal until we are able to return. "We returned to the area on Friday, October 24, to complete the collections." Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening near you
