“DRAFT proposals” have been considered regarding a scrutiny inquiry into Denbighshire’s new waste collection system.

On June 3, Denbighshire County Council introduced changes to recycling and waste collections, including new containers and weekly collections for recyclable materials, and the scrapping of the blue wheelie bin.

Since then, some residents have been required to separate their “dry” recycling using a new three-tier “Trolibocs”.

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New Denbighshire waste collection system could face scrutiny inquiry

Denbighshire waste system - the ‘temporary measures’ council has made

But the council has so far issued multiple apologies for residents across the county not having their bins collected on time, if at all, since June 3.

At a “special meeting” held on July 8, the council’s Scrutiny Chairs and Vice Chairs Group met to discuss a possible inquiry into the system.

A council spokesperson said: “The Scrutiny Chairs and Vice Chairs Group met on July 8 to consider draft proposals for the conduct of an in-depth scrutiny inquiry into the roll-out of the new waste collection model.

“Scrutiny chairs and vice-chairs agreed to meet again in September to consider draft terms of reference for the inquiry.

“These terms of reference will inform the scale and nature of the inquiry.

“Officers will then be asked to investigate the potential costs of commissioning an independent body to conduct such an inquiry.”

Last month, the council said it has put a number of “temporary measures” in place as it attempts to catch up with a backlog of missed collections.

It said has brought in additional refuse collection vehicles and staff, so more crews are out each day, while extra shifts are being put in place so that crews can stay out longer.

The council said it also has crews out on Saturdays, focussing on key areas which have been missed so far, and staff from other council services have been re-deployed to help with tasks to support the frontline collection crews.

A councillor, who asked to be anonymous, told the Journal: “The independent group on Denbighshire County Council has spoken up for the wishes of the people of Denbighshire: to have an open and honest independent inquiry into what has gone so obviously wrong with the introduction of this new scheme; and to reveal the whole truth, without any encumbrance or undue influence from any source.

“The people of Denbighshire deserve this, and nothing less.”

“As far as we are all concerned, this victory against the odds and against vested interest is nothing more than the people of this county deserve.”

During a cabinet meeting on June 25, Cllr Huw Hilditch Roberts said: “I called it a shambles, but I’m at the point now where I’m calling it a disaster.”

Chief executive of the council, Graham Boase, accepted that the roll-out of the new system had been “unacceptable”, meanwhile.