There has been a huge rise in missed bin collections in the Braintree district.
Braintree Council's quarterly performance report found that during the first quarter of this year, missed refuse collections soared.
The report also found the council fell further behind its target to deal with abandoned vehicles.
From January to March, the number of missed bin collections across the Braintree district rose from about 80 to more than 400 per 100,000 collections.
The council's target is to miss no more than 100 out of 100,000 collections.
A statement by the council said the number had risen due to several factors.
It said: "Some were anticipated, such as vehicle capacity problems at Christmas. The adverse effect was greater than expected and a different approach will be adopted for next Christmas.
"Factors outside our control included 9,402 suspended collections due to heavy snowfall, 363 due to flooding and subsequent landfill site closures, and 294 due to vehicle breakdowns. The provision of new vehicles in April 2003 should address many of these problems."
But things were looking up for Braintree Council over its waste recycling target.
The proportion of household waste recycled leapt from 11.43 per cent to 15.35 per cent over the last quarter, surpassing the recycling target the Government set nationally for councils this year
Published Monday, June 2, 2003
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article