HOUSEHOLDERS are up in arms after Uttlesford Council changed its bin collections in the Woodlands Park estate in Great Dunmow. After being told that collection of the large wheelie bins would now take place at the end of their roads, residents of Maple Wa

HOUSEHOLDERS are up in arms after Uttlesford Council changed its bin collections in the Woodlands Park estate in Great Dunmow.

After being told that collection of the large wheelie bins would now take place at the end of their roads, residents of Maple Way and Rowan Way have said they are concerned that access for emergency vehicles and a children's play area will be badly affected.

Ian Baines from Rowan Way said: "Uttlesford no longer wants to collect from our cul-de-sac like everyone else. Instead we have to place our bins at the end of our road every Thursday. We are all outraged at this sheer petty minded bureaucracy and feel like we are being treated like second class citizens."

The residents have now formed a petition group called PARM (Petition Against Refuse Madness) and claim to have enlisted the help of Dunmow district councillors Ron Clover and John Davey. They are challenging the district council to overturn the decision.

Mr Baines continued: "Some residents are elderly and feel very angry about the lack of proper consultation.

"A lot of the homes are a significant distance from the collection point and this is a real inconvenience to them, and will be even worse in winter."

Maple Way resident, Ray Kirk, says that his road suffers from the same problems.

"Our bins are dumped in the road and left there after collection," he said.

"The council seem intent on turning Woodlands Park into a slum, with this and turning off our lights at night it seems they have a vendetta against us poor residents. When will they consult us on matters which are important to council tax paying residents or just go their own sweet way and ignore us."

Russell Clark, waste and recycling officer at Uttlesford Council said: "We are currently reviewing collection procedures from cul-de-sacs in the district.

"Creating central collection points will reduce the amount of time currently spent by our operatives trying to manoeuvre, either by vehicle or by foot, into areas that are not easy to access. This will allow us to complete collections, on time, each day, as well as reducing the number of missed bins reported.

"Residents who are affected by the change are asked to wheel their bins to the collection point (except individuals who receive an assisted collection)."

The bins should be at the collection point for one day only (the collection day), standing in a safe, clean and tidy condition.

"Once emptied, residents will return their bins to the usual storage location for the remaining six days of the week," he continued.

"The main impetus behind creating a collection point at Rowan Way was to ensure fast and efficient collections.

"In the past we have spent time reversing into cul-de-sacs or approaching by foot.

"I'm sure residents can appreciate the time that is lost when collecting in such manner from cul-de-sacs across the district.