A REVIEW has been launched into Trafford Council's multi-million pound contract with environmental service provider Amey.

The move comes after the authority, then under Conservative rule, was bombarded with complaints about dirty streets, filthy parks and overflowing bins.

The authority, now governed by Labour, has set up a 'task and finish group' to unearth why things went so wrong with the partnership.

The deal, signed in 2015, was labelled ‘groundbreaking’ at the time – and left Amey responsible for the next 23 years in delivering services, at a cost of £12million a year.

The firm was tasked with emptying bins, street cleaning, street lighting, parks maintenance, drainage, corporate landlord services and major projects.

However, it was extensively reported that things soon began to go wrong.

Councillors across all parties were flooded with complaints from residents furious about unemptied bins, filthy parks, blocked gullies and dirty streets.

Within 18 months of the partnership being announced, Labour locally branded the set-up an ‘utter disaster’ with Amey routinely missing targets. It is understood, the Council fined Amey hundreds of thousands of pounds in penalties as a result.

However, council insiders admitted that from the start there was too little money in the contract, which was designed to slash £3million a year from the town hall’s environmental services budget.

Speaking during Wednesday’s Scrutiny Committee meeting, its chairman, Cllr David Acton, said the aim of the review is to ‘delve deep’ into the contract and see how work is being monitored.

He said: “We want to get inside the heart of the operation – and address the issues that have been raised.

“It’s a big piece of work, but I think it’s a really good piece of work."

Amey has been contacted for comment.