FOI/EIR 26/27-224-Placement of waste containers and obstruction of pavements

Information on procedures, training procedures, monitoring, complaints

Request received 28 July 2026

Please provide the recorded information held by East Cambridgeshire District Council concerning the placement of wheelie bins, food-waste caddies and other waste containers following collection.
Please treat any environmental information within this request under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and the remaining information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
I request the following:
1. Copies of all current policies, procedures, operational instructions, guidance or service standards specifying where collection crews must leave wheelie bins, food-waste caddies and other containers after collection.
2. Copies of instructions or guidance intended to prevent waste containers from obstructing pavements, dropped kerbs, driveways or accessible pedestrian routes.
3. Copies of any guidance or training concerning the needs and safety of wheelchair users and other disabled pedestrians.
4. Copies of relevant training materials, crew briefings, toolbox talks, notices or instructions issued between 1 May 2026 and the date of this request concerning obstructed pavements or the placement of containers.
5. Records of instructions, briefings or corrective action issued to crews serving Orchard Estate, Little Downham, between 1 May 2026 and the date of this request concerning the placement of bins or food-waste caddies.
6. Copies of the contractual requirements, performance standards or service specifications governing where the council’s collection contractor must return containers after emptying them.
7. Recorded information identifying which council department, officer or contractor is responsible for monitoring compliance with those requirements.
8. Copies of any monitoring, audits, inspections or compliance reports produced during the period from 1 May 2026 to the date of this request relating to containers obstructing pavements.
9. The number of complaints or reports received during the financial years 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27 to date concerning bins, food-waste caddies or other waste containers being left in positions that obstruct pavements or pedestrian access.
10. Copies of any equality impact assessment, accessibility assessment or other recorded consideration of the effects of the waste-collection service on wheelchair users and other disabled pedestrians.
Copies of any general corrective-action plans, recommendations or recorded decisions made since 1 May 2026 to prevent collection crews from leaving containers in the middle of pavements or otherwise obstructing accessible routes.

Responded 28 August 2026

  1. Please see attached documents ‘ECSS-SSOW-03 Waste Collections (Attachment 1)’ and ‘Waste Collection Service Standards (Attachment 2)’ as well as copy of memo (Attachment 3).
  2. Please see attached as per the above
  3. Please see ‘ECSS-SSOW-03 Waste Collections (Attachment 1)’
  4. Included in the above-mentioned documents
  5. This is included as per the answer to question 4.
  6. Please see page 7 of ‘Waste Collection Service Standards (Attachment 2)’ and also the extracted screenshot from the contract ‘Collection contract extract 6 (Attachment 4)’
  7. Please see attached document ‘‘Collection contract extract (Attachment 5)’
  8. The Council’s trading company do not hold records of this but I have been advised this was completed.

  9. 2024/2025

    Recycling - 18
    Garden / Green - 24
    Rubbish - No Data
    Food - No Data
     

    2025/2026
    Recycling - 24
    Garden / Green - 25
    Rubbish - No Data
    Food - No Data
     

    2026 To Date

    Recycling - 15
    Garden / Green - 16
    Rubbish - 13
    Food - 25


    10.
    Please see ‘EIA Form Waste and Street Cleansing’ (Attachment 6)