Communal Bins Overflow

REGENCY — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:14:43 +0000

I cannot claim to be surprised by the stacking up of refuse around the communal bins all over the centre of the city. Councillor Gill Mitchell, who was Labour chair of the environment committee which forced through these refuse changes several years ago, Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, the current Tory cabinet member for the environment, and CityClean assistant director Gillian Marston have all at one time or another categorically assured residents that such an overspill scenario could never occur. They argued that the communal bin collection truck only required one driver, and so this person would be easy to replace should a problem arise.

The sight and smell of the overflowing bins is truly disgusting and a serious health hazard – some residents have already spotted rats amongst the torn sacks. Let us not forget that many communal bins are sited directly outside people’s homes. What I find truly amazing is the dire management decisions taken by CityClean. Whilst the filth has been piling up around the communal bins over the past few days CityClean caged trucks could been seen driving around the central area, but only collecting the waste from litter bins. Would it not be more intelligent to task these workers with collecting the hundreds of strewn sacks around the communal bins? One would have thought that would be common sense.

Perhaps it is time for CityClean and our council to follow the lead of Jersey Council who disposed of communal bins as a failed and costly experiment. Furthermore with the lower ranks of the CityClean workforce threatened with massive pay cuts it might be more appropriate for our city council to dock the over-inflated salaries of CityClean management, who have clearly demonstrated their hopeless lack of competence and propensity for creating city-wide problems.

Some good news is that the strike has been delayed by 28 days, apparently after the personal intervention of the new chief executive, John Barradell. We shall have to wait and see if they can hammer out a long-term solution.

Letters: Public Sector Workers

REGENCY — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:04:21 +0000

Molly of Arundel Terrace wonders about the calibre of people running CityClean (Letters, Issue 12). I can tell you this much, headed by the ghastly Gillian Marston, with their perks and pensions sewn up a treat, these people are not in touch with the real world. Certainly wouldn’t have got through the door of the major private companies where I used to work at senior level.

If the persistent rumour that jobs in the public sector are at risk, all I can say is “bring it on”.

I wrote a personal letter to Gillian Marston on 30th March this year after asking for help and advice from Ian Denyer, the senior highways enforcement officer, when I met him at a recent Neighbourhood Action Group. Needless to say I never even had the courtesy of a reply, which I now understand is par for the course in her case.
Quite frankly I find the incompetence and arrogance of some of the members of this council completely unbelievable since I returned to Brighton 26 years ago, and a direct insult to the “official” figure of 2.4 million who are now without work in this country.

In conclusion we can only hope that those public servants who are unashamedly on the gravy train may soon join their ranks.

Gilly Armstrong
 York Road

Brighton & Hove's REGENCY Magazine » Gillian Marston

Communal Bins Overflow

Letters: Public Sector Workers