Dromore residents 'aggrieved' as brown bins haven't been emptied for weeks

DROMORE residents have been left "aggrieved" after the local council failed to undertake the normal brown bin collection service in the town, a local councillor has claimed.

For the past two weeks, brown bins - which are designed to hold both garden and food waste - have been left unemptied in the Dromore area, speaking fears about foul smells, maggots and potential for attracting vermin, amongst residents.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council have confirmed that they have experienced "some disruption" on a number of household refuse collection routes..

Sinn Féin councillor, Collette McNulty, said that residents of Dromore are "rightly aggrieved" at council’s inaction.

“I received a large volume of complaints from local residents about their brown bins not being collected last week," councillor McNulty said.

“With the volume of garden waste at its height at this time of the year and combined with it being mixed with food waste, many residents expressed concerns about the smell, maggots and potential for attracting vermin.

“Upon requesting that brown bins in the area be collected, I was informed that it was unlikely this would happen due to reduced staff resources as a result of higher than normal staff absences.

“I was told that the advice to affected residents should be to re-present their bin at the next scheduled date or, if bins were already full, to bring any excess material to the local Recycling Centres at Dromore and Fintona where they can be accepted as separate waste streams (rather than mixed).

“Alternatively, I was told to advise residents who may wish to begin home composting as a sustainable option that home compost bins can be purchased from both council depot buildings (Gortrush and Killyvilly).

“While I can understand the staffing pressures especially at this time of year, I feel that council has let the local community down by not having the necessary contingencies and resources in place to ensure the delivery of such a core, essential service. I will be further raising these concerns within council to seek assurances that this will not be repeated."

A spokesperson from Fermanagh and Omagh District Council said: "Unfortunately, over the last two weeks, council has experienced some disruption on a number of household refuse collection routes (food caddies and brown bins) including the Dromore area. A recent update in relation to the household collection routes was presented to the Environmental Services Committee and ratified by council in July 2023.

"Council recognises the impact of any service disruption on residents and would like to thank them for their cooperation and continued support for, and courtesy towards, our staff.

"The council would advise residents that additional waste can be taken to the nearest Recycling Centre for disposal, and in the case of food waste, compost bins are available from the council for home composting which will in time generate nutrient rich compost for the garden."