The number of missed waste bin collections in Harrogate has fallen sharply after the issue was highlighted by local politicians.
A report for North Yorkshire Council’s Harrogate and Knaresborough area committee reveals that missed collections have dropped from a peak of more than 2,000 in May last year to fewer than 250 in January this year.
Council figures show well over half of all missed bins in North Yorkshire between April and August last year occurred in the Harrogate area.
But Harry Briggs, head of service for waste operations and street scene, said in the report that a downward trend previously reported in November last year had continued.
He added:
“This improvement in service performance is very important and we are continuing efforts to ensure this is embedded as a permanent change.
“For the first time since reorganisation, despite being our biggest locality, Harrogate did not experience the most missed bin reports.”
The improvement was welcomed by Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon, who previously described the number of missed collections as “not just an inconvenience, but a potential public health risk”.
Commenting on the improvement, he said:
“It was one of the issues that had come up time and again — it was a bit of a dog’s dinner.
“It’s great that it’s going in the right direction, but of course, there still are a number of missed bin collections.
“Where those arise, I would strongly encourage people to get in touch with either myself or my office, or their local councillors, and we can help with that.”
The report noted that there would be significant changes in street scene services in Harrogate this year.
Mechanical road sweeping will transfer to North Yorkshire Highways, which officials hope will allow closer coordination with gully cleaning and other highway maintenance work.
Pavements, pedestrian areas and litter collection will remain under council control.
The changes will involve the transfer of staff and equipment, with coordination planned between services during busy periods such as leaf clearance.
A wider review of street cleansing is also underway, including recent changes to litter bin provision in Harrogate and proposals to adjust bin numbers in Knaresborough.
Council officials said the service is currently fully staffed, but working patterns and resources would be reviewed to better reflect demand.
They added that engagement with councillors and residents would remain key as improvements continue, with feedback helping shape future service delivery.
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