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A leading Derby city councillor has apologised to residents for missed bin collections across the city in recent weeks – but insists action is being taken to improve the service. Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha made an apology ahead of a full council meeting on Wednesday when he was quizzed on Derby City Council’s “prolonged” waste service issues.
The Labour councillor was asked in writing what the local authority was doing to tackle the issues of missed collections in Mickleover and across the city.
It comes after recent criticism that many bin collections were being missed most weeks. In July, it was reported that more than 300 streets had missed collections, which also prompted an apology from the city council.
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Recently, Mickleover’s three Conservatives councillors said missed bins were becoming “normal” and expressed concern how the council would cope when new weekly food collections begin from March next year.
One of the Mickleover councillors, Councillor Matthew Holmes wrote to Cllr Onuoha that “prolonged issues” suggested “more fundamental challenges within the service” were required.
But Councillor Onuoha said the council was committed to improving the quality of its waste services. This includes bolstering recruitment and enhancing vehicle and route planning.
He said in a written reply to Councillor Holmes: “The council understands the inconvenience that the recent missed collections have caused, and we sincerely apologise to residents in Mickleover and across the city who have been impacted.
“While some disruption can occur, we are committed to improving the level of service. We are implementing several measures to address these issues, including recruiting and training additional staff, optimising the use of agency cover, enhancing vehicle and route planning, and ensuring residents are promptly informed about any missed collections and their rescheduling.”
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At the same meeting, Cllr Onuoha praised staff for their work to keep Derby clean. He said in a speech: “I want to thank the front-line teams who work tirelessly to keep our city maintained. When I walk around the city centre, I see a place that is well kept and clean. The cleansing teams are out from 4am to ensure litter and debris is cleaned before people come to Derby to work and shop.”
He added that fly-tipping had reduced by 15 per cent in quarter one of 2025/26 compared to the same period last year, calling this “a step in the right direction”.
Cllr Onuoha added: “We are making strong progress toward the March 31, 2026 launch of our food waste collection service. Recruitment into the new structure has begun, with a Waste Collection Service Manager now in post. Our Waste & Recycling Engagement team have been highly active this summer, attending over 10 community events and schools to lay the groundwork for public engagement.”
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