SINCE Bolton Council introduced its new bin collection rounds six weeks ago, The Bolton News has been swamped with hundreds of calls, emails and letters describing tales of waste collection woes.

Missed bin collections, streets piled high with rubbish bags and a lack of answers from the council have all featured in complaints.

The Bolton News is now giving readers the chance to quiz the bin bosses at a public meeting.

We have organised the meeting for next Monday, November 2, where council leader Cllr Cliff Morris and the Executive member for Cleaner, Greener, Safer, Cllr Sufrana Bashir-Ismail, will field questions about the ongoing situation.

Cllr Morris said: “We always welcome the opportunity to engage with readers of The Bolton News and Monday’s meeting will give us the chance to explain the reasons behind the modernisation of the collection services.”

Last week, Cllr Bashir-Ismail faced a barrage of questions at a meeting of the full council from Liberal Democrat councillors over the continuing problems with the service, including the time it takes for the council to rectify mistakes, how assisted collections were being managed and the introduction of kerbside recycling for hard-to-reach areas.

The council introduced the new rounds, which concentrate all the crews on one area of the borough on a specific day, in a bid to slash its £400,000 annual fuel bill and improve efficiency in the service.

Cllr David Wilkinson called on Crompton councillor Bashir-Ismail to take a more public profile. Lib Dem leader Cllr Roger Hayes also said Executive members should take political responsibility for their decisions.

How to apply for tickets We have 150 tickets for the public meeting, which is being held at the University of Bolton’s Deane Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm. To apply for tickets, a maximum of two per application, call 01204 537259 or email newsdesk@theboltonnews. co.uk with Bins Meeting in the subject line.

We will need your name, address, contact telephone number and an email address.

Readers who would also like to ask a question should supply details of what that question will be. We have just 150 places and admission is by ticket only.

Tickets will be issued on a first-come-first-served basis.

andrew.greaves@ theboltonnews.co.uk