Weather-related bin issues cost council £40,000

Disruptions to bin collections caused by freezing temperatures cost a council more than £40,000, a report said.

Issues to services in Barnsley began in early January due to widespread snow and ice, making many roads and pavements inaccessible.

Despite the council's snow plan and gritting of primary and secondary routes, more than 100,000 collections were missed, causing significant backlogs.

Barnsley Council said the additional costs covered temporary staff and vehicle hires to help it catch up on missed collections.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the situation was worsened by the implementation of the council's safety and quality programme.

Launched last year, the "Be Safe, Work Safe, Target Zero" initiative aims to reduce accidents and improve the safety of waste collection crews.

The council previously acknowledged it made crews work slower, but it meant safety had improved and avoidable accidents had reduced.

The local authority said it was committed to making further investments in the service, with the council adding five extra vehicles and crews to help recover missed collections.

Services were restored to the published schedule as of 12 March, it added.

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