‘Overwhelming’ response to the DUP’s bin survey

Over 900 online responses have been received by the DUP who carried out a survey across the district on Saturday, January 10, which was answered by home owners in Gilford, Scarva, and Banbridge town.

A spokesperson for David Simpson MP said the online responses are still coming in rapidly and the decison has been taken to extend the deadline until next Thursday.

Mr Simpson commented: “The response to our black bin survey has been overwhelming and this has highlighted the passion people have on this controversial issue. To date we have received 900 online responses (as of Friday morning) and I would encourage home owners to get in touch with their views before our deadline this Thursday.

“Your opinions can be submitted either via my Facebook, Twitter, online survey or by contacting the Banbridge DUP Office. I want to thank everyone for their individual comments and I can assure you that each and every one has been viewed and evaluated.

“Following this consultation I along with my DUP colleagues in Banbridge Council will state our firm and united stance on this issue.”

Mr Simpson confirmed that the party position on the new bin collection would be heavily influenced by the results of the survey and called on home owners to complete the online survey if they have not had the opportunity to answer the survey.

Meanwhile a spokesperson for the local Bin Action Group said they believe Banbridge District Council Environmental Services Department are showing “absolutely no consideration towards their ratepayers”.

The spokesperson said: “They imposed a four week black bin collection which is proving unacceptable to the vast majority of ratepayers yet they choose to ignore them

“Conveniently this so-called ‘trial’ has no end date and is intended to last for the duration of this council which ceases to exist on March 31 2015 at which time the new ABC council will take over - in the meantime we are all left to suffer the consequences.”

They continued: “Many many messages have been received by us supporting our stance in getting the two week collections returned.

“We have received many photos from ratepayers who just cannot cope with the extra two weeks wait to have their rubbish taken away, pics of their overflowing bins, bin bags left by bin men, fly-tipping throughout the district, rats, mice, vermin appearing in areas where none were evident before and sad to say both our councillors and our council officers are ignoring all this.”