Neighbouring council to help clear bin strike waste

Lichfield District Council has said it will step in and help clear the piles of rubbish that have accumulated in Birmingham since bin workers went on strike last month.

From Wednesday, the local authority will send crews to the city to tackle the waste backlog which is growing by about 1,000 tonnes a week, Lichfield council leader Doug Pullen said.

The support will be provided at a commercial rate, meaning Lichfield taxpayers will not foot the bill, he added.

Talks between Birmingham City Council and the Unite union broke down again on Monday, although the union described them as "productive".

Pullen said Lichfield crews would be clearing the "mountains of waste" from the streets.

"Our crews and vehicles are being deployed, not to carry out routine bin collection but to help clear the mountains of uncollected waste that have built up on the streets of Birmingham," he said.

"The city is currently seeing rubbish accumulate at a staggering rate of around 1,000 tonnes each week."

However, Pullen's Conservative-run council has criticised Birmingham's Labour-led authority, adding that it was "clearing up Labour's mess".

"While we're proud to be a good neighbour, our first duty is to Lichfield District," he said.

"I can reassure residents that our routine services will remain unaffected and our teams will continue to deliver the high standards people rightly expect."

Temporary collection sites were set up in Erdington and Billesley on Monday, enabling residents to get rid of some their rubbish.

Such sites have been a lifeline for many residents, but last week, one in Bartley Green saw a queue of cars more than a mile long.

Birmingham City Council said it had more than 20 bin lorries out on Saturday and Sunday, with vehicles now being unimpeded by striking workers as they left depots.

Speaking after Monday's two-hour meeting with the council, Unite regional officer Zoe Mayou said things were "moving forward".

"Obviously these things take time and we have arranged a further meeting tomorrow," she said.

Ms Mayou said both Unite and the council had agreed not to go into the details of what they were talking about publicly.

"All I can say is we both want an end to this dispute," she added.