OPPOSITION councillors have criticised the current administration’s handling of waste collections in the borough.

As previously reported by The Gazette, a new £44 million joint waste contract for bin collections in Hart and Basingstoke and Deane was awarded to Serco towards the end of last year.

However, members of the Basingstoke Labour Group have said since the handover, collections have been a “disaster.”

At the full council meeting on February 28, leader of the opposition group, Councillor Paul Harvey said that some areas of the borough have been left with overflowing rubbish in the streets because of missed collections.

Cllr Harvey said: “The cabinet cannot even manage collecting our borough’s waste properly - it's a damning indictment of this administration.

“The disgraceful facts are some residents have to pay for their bin, the bins when replaced are smaller and because people can’t recycle mixed plastics anymore, we’re burning it all and the bins aren’t big enough to cope anymore, so more and more people have overflowing bins.”

Cabinet member for regulatory services and the environment at the borough council, Cllr Hayley Eachus, said she admits there were issues at the start of the contract, but these have now been ironed out.

She said: “As the portfolio holder, I'm continual dialogue with Serco and have regular meetings. I am confident any issues will be resolved and doing all we can with Serco.”