A householder on a new-build estate in Flintshire is pursuing a 100% council tax rebate after enduring six months without any refuse collection service. Nathan Long and approximately 60 other households at Hawthorn Meadows in Buckley have now received bins, but waste workers continue to bypass their street entirely, collecting from neighbouring roads instead.
Long moved into the development at the start of April and has been required to pay council tax since arrival, yet the estate remained without any collection arrangement until bins were finally delivered last month. Throughout this period, residents disposed of rubbish using skips supplied by Castle Green Homes, the estate developer. Despite receiving the bins, the collection service has still not begun for the Hawthorn Meadows properties.
Why has the service been delayed?
The delay stems from a multi-step administrative process that must be completed before waste and recycling collections can commence. According to an earlier report, the roads at Hawthorn Meadows were unadopted and had not completed mandatory health-and-safety checks required before inclusion on collection routes. Flintshire County Council acknowledged that while developers are normally expected to arrange these services before residents occupy properties, the situation here required council intervention to resolve.
What is the resident's complaint?
Long expressed frustration at the lack of progress and the responses received from the council.
It feels like we are not getting anywhere. We complain and we get responses that in part pass the buck on to others and in part pledge to do something about the problem. Meanwhile, we are sitting here watching bin crews collecting rubbish from across the road and wondering if they will ever come to us.
He noted an additional frustration when attempting to lodge a formal complaint:
At one point I went to lodge a formal complaint about the situation and was told I couldn't as technically we hadn't missed a collection.Long added that when bins finally arrived, he believed this signalled the imminent start of collections, but another month passed without service commencing.
What is the council's response?
Katie Wilby, council chief officer for streetscene and transportation, stated:
While we normally expect developers to arrange these services before residents move in, we are currently working to resolve the situation for the occupied properties. A council officer will visit the site to confirm occupancy, perform safety checks, and integrate eligible homes into the collection system as quickly as possible.
According to local reporting, Flintshire County Council has advised residents experiencing ongoing waste-collection issues to contact its contact centre or streetscene team directly. The council can manually register occupied homes for bins and collections through this process.
What about the council tax rebate request?
Long is seeking compensation for the period during which he paid council tax while receiving no service. The rebate request falls under Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, which allows local authorities to reduce council tax bills to zero. Long remains awaiting a formal response from the council regarding his application.
What support is the developer providing?
Castle Green Homes has committed to continuing provision of skips for residents at its own expense until the waste collection issue is fully resolved. This arrangement has enabled households to dispose of refuse throughout the six-month period without an official collection service.
What happens next?
A council officer is expected to visit Hawthorn Meadows to confirm occupancy, carry out the required safety checks, and move eligible homes into the collection system. Residents who still lack bins or containers have been instructed to contact Flintshire County Council directly so their properties can be manually registered for bin delivery.
Key Facts:
- Approximately 61 occupied homes at Hawthorn Meadows have been without a waste collection service since April
- Bins were delivered last month but collection routes have not yet been established for the estate
- The delay is attributed to unadopted roads and incomplete health-and-safety checks
- Nathan Long is seeking a full council tax rebate for the six-month period without service
- Residents can contact the council directly to have their properties manually registered for collection
