Backing Barnsley’s frontline teams: council leaders explore how to better support waste and neighbourhood services

Barnsley Council's waste and neighbourhood teams carry out more than 170,000 household waste and recycling collections every week, respond to over 6,000 fly-tipping incidents every year and empty more than 2,000 litter bins across the borough each week.

These were just some of the figures highlighted when Council Leader, Councillor William Brown, and Deputy Leader, Councillor Edward Dillingham, visited the frontline teams delivering some of Barnsley's most visible and essential services.

The visit provided an opportunity to meet staff from across Waste and Neighbourhood Services and see first-hand the wide range of work taking place every day to keep communities clean, safe and well maintained.

The service supports residents through waste and recycling collections, street cleansing, litter removal, fly-tipping clearance, grounds maintenance, tree management, environmental improvements and the upkeep of parks and public spaces across the borough. Teams maintain more than 17,000 grassed areas, while mechanical sweeping crews help keep more than 1,100 kilometres of roads and pathways clean.

Councillor William Brown, Leader of Barnsley Council, said:

"Many residents will see our teams working in their communities every day, but they may not realise the scale of what is delivered behind the scenes.

"Every week, crews carry out more than 170,000 waste and recycling collections, maintain thousands of green spaces and help keep our streets clean and welcoming. It was a privilege to meet staff, hear about their work and thank them for the vital role they play in serving our communities."

During the visit, councillors also saw how the council is investing in new technology to support staff and improve services for residents.

Waste collection vehicles are now equipped with InCab technology, providing crews with live route information, safety messages and the ability to record issues in real time. The system has replaced many paper-based processes and allows information to be shared more quickly between crews and supervisors, helping services operate more efficiently and respond faster when issues arise.

Councillor Edward Dillingham, Deputy Leader of Barnsley Council, said:

"It was fascinating to learn more about the work taking place behind the scenes and the different teams involved in delivering these services.

"We were particularly interested to see how technology is helping support frontline staff, improve communication and make services more efficient, while maintaining the high standards residents expect."

Over the course of a year, Barnsley's waste teams collect more than 45,000 tonnes of grey bin waste, 25,000 tonnes of recycling and 21,000 tonnes of garden waste for composting, delivering these services in all weather conditions throughout the year.

The visit formed part of the council's ongoing work to engage with frontline services and better understand the challenges, opportunities and improvements being delivered across the borough.