I suspect my growing interest in Brighton and Hove’s local politics will mean that this isn’t the first blog I write about bins, refuse collection and recycling. So here you go: two of the communal bins on my street. Pics taken half an hour ago.
Why is this bad? This is the backlog of just three day’s rubbish. The refuse collectors have been working to rule, protesting (quite justifiably in my opinion) against massive pay cuts. The strike proper starts on Monday for seven days.
I have always found it bewildering that of all the places I have lived (including 4 London boroughs and Lewes), Brighton and Hove seems to be the one place that can’t seem to crack the collection and disposal of refuse without regular disagreements, strikes, backlogs and general incompetance. In terms of recycling too, Brighton’s record isn’t partcularly glittering.
It seems to me that whilst education spend is more important and elderly care is also a bigger line item, that the one most visible council activity that any administration has to get right to ensure it retains confidence, is ‘the rubbish’.
But it looks like Brighton and Hove’s Conservative council has forgotten the old maxim that all voters care about locally is “bins, bogs and rats”. And the seagulls are gonna love it.