PARKED cars obstructing a residential road have been blamed by the council for missed refuse collections – but residents claim other waste collection vehicles have made it through.

Buckinghamshire Council failed to collect rubbish in bins from Hill Close in Wooburn Green, High Wycombe, for two weeks in a row – claiming resident’s cars had prevented access.

But one Hill Close resident argued a garden waste lorry managed to “navigate in reverse”, even with a “full size bin attached to the side”.

They added Argos and removal wagons had also managed the route “without issue”.

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On August 10 they reported a two-week lapse in bins being emptied and on the second occasion, witnessing the driver motioning workers back into the cabin before driving off, “leaving bins scattered out in the road for residents to move back” after work.

“As we had no bin collection the week before and having returned home to find our bins hadn’t been emptied, we all contacted the waste collection service to find out why,” they said.

They added, residents had been left “with no bin collections for two-and-a-half weeks”.

The Hill Close resident, who asked not to be named, told the Free Press the bin lorry returned a short time later and the driver got out to take pictures of the street.

“I know there are roads nearby the bin lorry cannot physically navigate, so collectors have to run bins to the lorry and back again. I’m not saying they should do this on Hill Close, but if their own drivers cannot be bothered to reverse then they should provide the same service for our road, especially as it’s only 12 houses,” they said.

“They have too much control to just give up and drive away,” they added. “Any other job and they would not be paid or employed the next day.

“The fact the garden waste lorry can navigate the road without trouble shows they just cannot be bothered to try.”

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A spokesperson for Buckinghamshire Council said Hill Close “presents a challenge for larger vehicles” – with cars parked “in the hammerhead at the end of the cul-de-sac and on the pavement in the close itself”.

Bill Chapple, cabinet member for environment and climate change, said: “The reason provided by the contractor (Serco) for the recent interruption to the bin collection service has been the number and position of parked cars in the close.

“However, the contractor is making a collection on Wednesday, August 19, and together we will monitor the situation closely over the coming weeks.

“If the issue of parked cars persists then alternative arrangements for the safe and effective collection of the bins will need to be considered.

“Residents should always consider how and where they park their cars. While it might be an inconvenience for our refuse vehicles – there could be much more serious consequences if emergency service vehicles needed access to the close”.

Image courtesy of Google Maps