FURIOUS residents have slammed their council for asking them to sweep up fallen leaves as they already pay them £125 a month in tax.
The 'Big Sweep' initiative has divided opinion in Cardiff as the council encouraged community members to clear autumn leaves off the streets themselves.
This comes as the council also suspended kerbside garden waste collections from December through to February.
One resident who opposed the 'Big Sweep' asked: "Where are we supposed to put the swept up leaves, they have suspended green bin collections."
A furious resident told Wales Online: "Exactly £125 a month [council tax] and they want me to clean the leaves up, not on my watch."
Another person commented: "Please don’t ask me unless you will pay some of my council tax back!"
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"Do residents that do get a council tax rebate for doing your jobs for you?" Someone else added.
An angry resident commented: "It's not my Job. My Job is to complain when drains blocked by leaves cause flooding and then insurance premiums increase because of all the flood claims!"
However, there are people who would be happy to help Cardiff Council.
Some believe it is not the council's job to sweep leaves off the streets,one said: "Don't see the problem, we don't pay the council to sweep up leaves, we pay them to close off roads and build cycle lanes."
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Another called those who oppose the idea "very delicate residents" and said focus should be on those who want to help instead of "absolute detritus."
One supportive community member praised the scheme, they said: "My parents and grandparents used to always clean in front of the house and kerbs. This has passed onto myself and I hope my kids will follow."
More people backed the Autumn sweep, another posted: "It's called 'taking pride in your neighbourhood'.
"You know, like sweeping and washing the pavements outside your house like your great grandmothers used to do, instead of sitting back and saying 'not my job'.
"Most folk these days seem to have lost all that sense of pride, although in the street next to us, it's noticeable that some still do it."
A spokesman from Cardiff Council said: “The idea of the ‘Big Sweep’ isn’t for the public to carry out work that the council will be doing but to reach out to community groups and individuals that are established across the city, who volunteer to help out through the Love Where You Live campaign – Love Where You Live, Keep Cardiff Tidy.
“The ‘Big Sweep’ has been running for seven years in Pontcanna and Riverside and has since spread to other areas.
It is about residents and the council working together to remove the huge amounts of leaves that collect on certain streets.
"The programme was established by the community and is extremely popular with hundreds of residents taking part.
"The sweeps engender goodwill and two-way respect between the residents and council staff."
Reduced garden bin collections across the winter period has been attributed to an 80 per cent decrease in waste during these months, according to a council spokesman.
Efforts have since been diverted to the collection of recycling and home and food waste which all increase as people spend more time indoors during the colder period, they added.
However, this explanation did not satisfy some residents as one commented: "You’ve reduced the frequency of green bin collections? Residents are far more likely to clear outside their house/road if it’s convenient & leaves can be deposited straight in their green bins, none of this collecting specific bags malarkey – unfortunately ours is full."
People do not seem to be willing to spread the 'Love Where You Live' spirit, with some branding the council "incompetent clowns" and "crooked."
Some have told the council to "get stuffed" and "do your bl***y job."
One woman claimed she does sweep the area by her house, but the council do not collect the debris.
Every year I sweep up the leaves outside my house and leave them in a pile for the council to pick up – they just leave them there – and then they blow away again."
In agreement, another called the initiative "a joke" and "they waste our money on stupid things, and want us to do their jobs for free!" they continued.
But there is still hope for the 'Big Sweep' as many residents are more than happy to help.
One parent said the idea actually proved to be a great activity, they said:We've done it the last three years and it seems to be a highlight of our eight-year-old's year."
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