Monday, July 13, 2009

Wheelie Bad News

With our beloved duffers spending all our hard-earned council tax on events for Margate (which only benefit burger van owners from Clacton), it's no surprise that they can't afford to introduce wheelie bins in areas like central Ramsgate which desperately need them. They've stockpiled hundreds of the things down at the port, but say they can't be deployed as they're needed as 'replacements'. Well, here's a picture of the council's wheelie bin arsenal in February:

And here's another that was taken this weekend:

Now, I really haven't got the time to count them all, but from a quick glance I'd say that very few, if any, have been sent out as 'replacements'. In fact it's probably fair to say that nobody from the council has been down there in the past five months, as the ones that had been blown or kicked over in February still appear to be on their sides.

So what is the truth of Thanet Council's wheelie bin collection? Cynics might say that someone, somewhere cocked up and ordered way too many of the things for the number of bin rounds that are equipped to handle them, so they've just piled them up on a spare bit of council-owned land. I, on the other hand, prefer to put a much more sympathetic slant on it and would merely argue that they're a bunch on incompetent twats.

16 comments:

Jean said...

Even if, as TDC claim, parts of Ramsgate are unsuitable for wheelie bins I'm sure everyone can manage a recycling box for, say, Monday morning's paper recycling collection. However, we're left to leave our paper out in plastic bags and yes, the gulls attack them too.

A cynic might argue that TDC couldn't give a stuff about Ramsgate wards, I, however, would argue that they are a bunch of simpletons incapable of creative thinking and lateral thought. And that they couldn't give a stuff about Ramsgate wards.

Peter C said...

Here we go, yet another imagined Ramsgate conspiracy... *yawn*

I live in Westbrook, & I don't have a wheelie bin either, nor do any of my neighbours.

Anonymous said...

Evene if you're in Ramsgate I'm told if you ask for a wheelie bin they'll give it to you but you still have to put your bags out on to the pavement.
I agree they're fookin useless at refuse collection compared to other councils where i live.
Remeber their advertising campaign
"Keep Thanet Beautiful" they're obviously not dowing a very good job themselves

Anonymous said...

Pete's obviously now far too close to the Tories having done those nudie councillor photo shoots for ECR's blog.

Peter C said...

Haha, fortunately that wasn't me!

Jean said...

Oh, Peter, so you're claiming TDC refuse collection is as poor in Margate as it is in Ramsgate? I'd complain if I were you.

Anyway, the word 'conspiracy' infers more intelligence than I see evidence of.

Peter C said...

Yes, & yes I have complained numerous times about the state of the road (to give them credit they generally send someone round to clean it up pretty quick when I do complain though).

I'm just sick of people in Ramsgate automatically assuming that things are so much worse there without checking the facts. A good example of this was ECR's recent list of closed public loos, when in fact (as usual) it's a Thanet-wide problem.

Richard Eastcliff said...

Really Peter. If you haven't noticed before, this is a Ramsgate blog. I live in Ramsgate, therefore I notice and care more about what's going on in Ramsgate more than I do, say, Westgate. Which frankly I haven't even seen for several years as it bores me witless.

You could always email me your north side stories if you wanted them featured here.

But in all honesty it sometimes doesn't even seem worth me paying my council tax, as it all appears to be spent trying to haul Margate's sorry ass into the 20th century (never mind the 21st), with very little being spent where the Tory councillors don't live. That's not a conspiracy theory, merely an impression I've gained over the past four years.

Finally, with regard to the bogs, I've already said I'm working on an updated map following the Thanet-wide response I received to the last item.

Anonymous said...

All that was needed to solve the bin bag collection was a rede-signed bag with a net mesh built in simlar to the bag that fruit is packed in and bio degradable,as bags can be collected three times faster than bins,hey presto,the stinking household rubbish could be collected every week,and the garden collection resumed as well
Stargazer.

Ann said...

Sorry to butt in on this blog, but Cllr Nottingham seems not to want to post my question on his blog site or even answer me, so maybe someone elso can tell me if he has been to the Respect Course as recommended by the Standards Board.

I believe that as a tax payer I am allowed to ask that question without being sent back to GO and missing my £200.00, or have I missed my £200.00 by having Cllr Nottingham as Ward Cllr? Should have picked up the Chance Card!!!!

Westgate Old Lady said...

We have wonderful bins in Westgate and they keep the streets ever so clean. But of course we wouldn't live there if they didn't would we?

Peter C said...

And there's no planes flying over Westgate, ECR would love it there (though personally my favourite town in Thanet is Birchington, I wish I lived there!).

Anonymous said...

Peter, you are surely old enough to move to birchington now?

Steve said...

I am glad this has come up again. I am still stumped as to WHY people in my area keep putting there rubbish out so early giving the animals an opportunity to make a mess with it. Until we, or if we ever, get wheelie bins here's and idea...STOP PUTTING YOUR RUBBISH OUT SO EARLY. I put out my rubbish at 7 am every week and I have NEVER had a animal get into it.

Anonymous said...

Steve, I've seen seagulls rip open bags within a minute or two of putting the bags out. Also, many people don't work 9-5; I often get home from work at 2 or 3 in the morning, & certainly don't see why I should get up just because TDC won't empty my metal dustbin.

another steve said...

I agree with both of the previous comments. I leave at 0530 each day, so have an opportunity to put my bags out nice and early. I have no idea if the gulls rip them apart in the 30 mins/hour before the binmen arrive, but there is no evidence when I return.

I have witnessed a neighbour put their bag out, and before they got to the door a gull was on top of it.

If I didn't have to leave at 0530, i'd be livid at having to get up to leave the bags out. Ramsgate is not unique in having victorian houses converted to flats, some narrow streets. Rather than sending people off on working parties to see how other councils "run" airports, I'd suggest they spend their time comparing how basic services work at other councils - bins, toilets etc.