Powys County Council says missed bin collections have fallen after a troubled introduction of new waste and recycling routes left some residents waiting days for their rubbish to be collected.

The authority said a recovery plan had helped stabilise the service following the changes, which were introduced in March as part of a major overhaul of collection routes across the county.

The route changes affected more than 71,000 properties and led to widespread complaints from residents, with some reporting missed collections, delays and rubbish being left uncollected for extended periods.

The disruption also led to political pressure at the council, with council leader Cllr Jake Berriman replacing Cllr Jackie Charlton as cabinet member for a portfolio covering waste and recycling. The move came after criticism of the handling of the route changes and calls for a motion of no confidence in Cllr Charlton.

Now a report due to go before the council’s scrutiny and governance and audit committees says the service has improved following the introduction of extra vehicles, additional management support and better communication with residents.

The council said the percentage of households reporting missed collections fell from 0.47 per cent in March to 0.24 per cent by the end of June.

The number of reported missed collections also dropped from 3,494 in March to 1,759 in June.

Cllr Richard Church, cabinet member for legal and regulatory services, said the authority recognised that residents had experienced disruption.

“We know the introduction of the new routes meant that collections were missed for many residents as the changes were introduced and we want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while the service adapted to these significant changes,” he said.

He said crews and support teams had worked hard to improve performance, but added there was “still work to do”.

The council’s report says around five per cent of households were affected during the “bedding-in” period, with problems caused by factors including vehicle availability, staffing pressures and bank holidays.

An independent review by WRAP Cymru, a sustainability organisation, concluded that the route optimisation approach was sound but identified lessons for future improvements.

The council said it would continue to refine routes where needed and invest in digital technology to improve communication with residents.

Cllr Church also thanked residents for their support during recent hot weather, saying earlier collection times had been introduced to protect crews working in high temperatures.