Mr Birkley is quoted as stating that "They just use every excuse they can not to do the work that they are paid to do".

This is a particularly unfair statement which I do not believe many residents would agree with however frustrated they were by the problems of last week.

And certainly if we go by the many compliments and positive feedback we receive on a regular basis about our refuse workers and the service they provide, it would not ring true for the majority.

The decision not to collect refuse and recycling on Monday and Wednesday was not taken by the refuse workers.

They simply work to the instructions they are given.

In these particular instances, the decision was not made by the District Council either but by the Waste Recycling Group – the owners of Calvert who felt that for health and safety reasons it could not open the site.

AVDC has to respect and work within the decisions which may be made by other partners who help deliver the service from end to end.

I would like everyone to be reassured that AVDC will always do its very best to make sure that the service is delivered.

We appreciate the value and its importance to every resident.

Any decision to either change or cancel all or part of the service is never taken lightly.

Cancellation due to high winds is unusual but we ourselves know that it is a very real health and safety issue having witnessed one of our freighters being blown off the road at the beginning of 2007 causing serious injuries to one of our staff.

Perhaps this example will help set the matter in a clearer context.

Councillor Sir Beville Stanier
Cabinet Member for Environment & Health

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