A PROPOSAL to introduce a thinner bin lorry for some of Reading’s narrow streets has been welcomed by ward councillors who say residents have been blighted by missed collections.
At a council meeting held last week, Cllr Will Cross said that people in his Redlands ward have seen bin lorries unable to pick up waste due to obstructions and poor parking.
In the summer, Reading Borough Council arranged for a narrower lorry to be pressed into action on east Reading streets such as Cardigan Road, Foxhill Road, Francis Street, Hatherley Road and Stanley Grove. It was deemed a success, with a lorry on order for use from September next year.
Cllr Karen Rowland (Labour, Abbey), lead councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety, said the trial had gone well.
“The results of the trial of the new narrow road bin lorry were successful this year in its final analysis,” she said.
“It was determined that the vehicle has the potential to realise its role on the fleet, not only to collect on these roads, but also to be utilised for other street cleansing throughout the town – a critical component of its financial justification.
“As such, the purchase of the vehicle has been submitted as a capital funding bid.”
She added: “Given our priority to service all residents across the town equally and the on-going detrimental impact of failed collections in these streets, I’m hopeful that the bid will be successful and we’ll be able to introduce such a vehicle in late 2023.
“But I’m also conscious that the council budget will be under significant strain as a result of inflationary pressures and that all spending decisions will have to be properly considered in a holistic way across the council.”
The question was answered full council meeting on Tuesday, October 18.
Cllr David McElroy (Green, Redlands) said his party had repeatedly lobbied for such a vehicle, after he raised the issue at a council meeting earlier this year.
“We’re pleased to see that the continued and persistent pressure from residents and Green Councillors has led to the council backflipping on a raft of suggestions and ideas that we have been asking for for a long time, not least our petition for the smaller bin lorry,” he said.
“Green councillors will continue working hard to get the council to proactively approach the mess that happens like clockwork at the end of every student term.”
