Yahoo News Residents complain 'it stinks' after six weeks of missed waste collections but then this happened
The council has apologised to senior residents after they suffered six weeks of missed bin collections. The occupants of Barbara Glasgow House, in Washwood Heath, claim they have had to deal with 'huge' rats and a foul stench as the bin bags piled up with every passing week.
Black bags piling out of big waste bins, discarded mattresses and other filth could be seen from the roadside. One resident said she had to knock the door to the garbage area to scare away any rodents.
The group said they had complained to the manager of the housing association who asked the council to remove the horrendous pile but nothing happened. In the meantime, they have had to put up with huge rats scurrying about, a foul smell and eyesore garbage blighting the neat block of flats for the over 55s.
Within hours of visiting the complex on Friday (May 3), Birmingham City Council cleared the rubbish and apologised for missed collections, citing 'issues around access.'
Milton Godfrey, 80, published author and musician, said: "For six weeks, nobody has collected the rubbish. We've got rats, you're putting people at risk. It's just piling up, the conditions are outrageous."
Annette Campbell, 63, who ran the Fox and Goose pub in Hodge Hill for five years, is forced to knock the door to the garbage to scare any feasting rats away. She said: "The big things are the rats; they are out day and night.
"They are not afraid to come out because they've got plenty of food and places to hide. Another resident and I were putting the bags out and a rat dived out."
Another lady, who did not wish to be named, said: "It stinks, there's rats and it encourages fly-tipping. "There's even Christmas trees - where did they come from? Because we are on the main road, people see the opportunity to fly-tip."
Councillor Majid Mahmood, cabinet member for environment, said: “We apologise for missed collections at this location. Unfortunately there have been some issues around access but we have now collected them today.
"We know how important our waste service is to the people of Birmingham and we will work to resolve any problems to ensure that regular collections are carried out.”
