An annual council shutdown is causing a headache for businesses and residents alike across Southport with some bins not set to be emptied for at least another week.
One Birkdale Village business said they have been left fighting overflowing bins after Sefton Council’s commercial waste collection service was suspended for Christmas.
Council staff aren’t paid during what they call a ‘winter shutdown’ which means a reduced service is put into place.
The shutdown has been implemented by the council as part of a cost cutting exercise. Vital services remain active such as children’s and adults social care.
Each year, Sefton Council provides restricted services over the Christmas and New Year period.
This means waste collection services are reduced with some collections not taking place at all, including commercial waste.
However the disruption has caused growing frustration among traders who rely on regular collections, particularly during the busy holiday period
One local business owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said that over recent years the service has gone “downhill,”
They said: “We pay a lot for the collections but no longer have a dedicated waste team or a point of contact.
“Our bins are piling up, and there’s a real risk of attracting rats. The situation is only going to get worse if nothing is done.”
“It’s frustrating,” the anonymous business owner continued. “We pay for this service, yet we’re left with no way to resolve the issue. It’s hard to see this improving any time soon.”
Residential collections are set to resume as early as Thursday, January 2nd but brown bins won’t be collected until Tuesday, January 7th at the earliest.
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