Disclosure Log

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Question

1) Please confirm the exact weekly element pertaining to waste collection services charged by Merthyr Council to all residents? 2) Please provide a full and truth explanation as to the reason why waste collection provisions were not put in place over the Christmas 2026 period?

Answer

1) Please confirm the exact weekly element pertaining to waste collection services charged by Merthyr Council to all residents. 1A) 2.85% of your council tax payment goes towards refuse and recycling for financial period 2025/2026. 2) Please provide a full and truth explanation as to the reason why waste collection provisions were not put in place over the Christmas 2026 period? 2 A) Waste collection provisions were put in place over the Christmas period and were published on the Council website. Whilst we would ideally have worked Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th December to catch up on the rounds not collected on Christmas day and Boxing Day, our waste services collection crews did not want to work overtime, and as such we were not able to. Our Household recycling centres were open from the 27th for residents to dispose of waste & recycling. 1. Please could you expand and provide a full breakdown of the proportion of council tax which excludes the Police charge and what exactly makes up the overall charge, for example, you have mentioned that 2.85% of the total yearly council tax charges related to refuse, please expand and breakdown 100% of the total charge into its respective elements? A breakdown of Council Tax Spend 2025-26 can be found on the council website Council Tax Spend 2025-2026. 2. Also please expand on point 2 by confirming whether the refuse workers refused to work overtime or whether an insufficient notice period was given to refuse workers to request they work overtime therefore evidencing poor preparation, and also confirm if overtime rates were offered or basic hourly contracted rates? Operational refuse staff were given an appropriate and reasonable period of notice to indicate whether they were willing to work overtime during the festive period. The overtime rates offered were enhanced rates fully aligned with national terms and the Council’s approved pay policies. Despite this, the operational workforce declined the overtime offered. As a result, the lack of overtime cover was due to staff choosing not to accept the additional hours, rather than any failure in planning, notice, or preparation by the Council 3. Also please confirm why the council is still yet on 9th Jan able to get up to date with refuse collections? As of 12 January 2026, all refuse collections within the borough are up to date. The reason collections had not been fully recovered by 9 January 2026 was due to the period of snow and ice experienced across the borough, which created unsafe operating conditions for refuse vehicles and collection crews. These weather conditions resulted in unavoidable delays while routes were assessed and crews were only deployed when it was safe to do so.