Update published by Ashford Borough Council on 2nd July 2015
As you are aware the continuation of operation stack has impacted on traffic congestion in and around Ashford with severe delays being experienced. Despite this our waste collection contactor, Biffa, has been able to maintain collections on the due day of collection with some minor delays due to the traffic congestion. Unfortunately the longer the current situation continues there is the possibility that collections may be disrupted.
All of the waste collected in Ashford is taken to a transfer station at Cobbs Wood Industrial Estate, where it is then loaded onto bulk lorries for transportation to the reprocessing facilities located in west Kent. These bulk vehicles would normally use the M20 for this journey and therefore operation stack is having a major impact on these journeys.
Under normal circumstances these bulk vehicles are able to make five trips a day however at present they are only able to make two journeys. In order to alleviate this, the operator of the transfer station is hiring additional vehicles however there is the possibility that despite this the waste in the transfer station may build to the point where there is no space available for the collection vehicles to tip.
This will result in collection rounds being delayed and may result in some rounds being incomplete on the due collection day.
Should this situation arise we will advise residents through the council’s website www.ashford.gov.uk, on social media and via the local press and would ask residents to leave their bin out if they are not collected on the usual day and it will be collected as soon as possible thereafter.
We apologise in advance if this should arise however the situation is completely out of our control and we thank residents for their patience whilst operation stack is in place.