Council wants to carry out 1,000 '˜face-to-face' interviews about Northampton's environmental services

Northampton Borough Council’s environmental services are currently carried out by the firm Enterprise, but its at-times criticised contract with the authority is up for renegotiation in June 2018.

Last year hundreds of black bin bags were left strewn across the street in the town when Enterprise started enforcing a strict two-bag collection policy.

This year grass in the East of Northampton was allowed to grow to a foot in height in many places - though it was claimed heavy rain and broken machinery was to blame.

Now the council is enlisting pollsters Ipsos Mori to carry out 1,000 “face-to-face” interviews with people in Northampton to ask their views on the current quality of service and what they want the new contract should look like.

Councillor Alan Bottwood, Northampton Borough Council cabinet member for the environment, said: “The survey of residents is a key part of the process of the re-provision of environmental services and will help us to understand the public’s priorities for improvement and how the service could change to better meet the needs of local people.”

The interviews will take place between now and September.

Once all the review work has been completed, a report with options for the new service will be compiled for Northampton Borough Council’s cabinet to be considered in October.

A public meeting will also be held for people to find out more about the options under consideration.

Anyone who is approached at home and would like to check that the interviewer is legitimate can contact Ipsos MORI on 0808 238 5456 (free from a landline) or email at: [email protected]

For more information about the environmental services review visit: http://www.northampton.gov.uk/info/200040/environmental-health/2207/environmental-services-review