Residents have hit out at a council’s ‘disgusting’ decision to remove 25 per cent of litter and dog waste bins in Oadby and Wigston.
Oadby & Wigston Borough Council (OWBC) says that by reducing the number of bins, that it could prioritise the most-used receptacles and empty them regularly.
Picture credit: Keep Britain Tidy
The authority currently has 500 bins which require 1,350 individual visits per week.
“This has become ‘increasingly unsustainable’ over the last decade, primarily due to financial pressures and reduced staffing,” said a spokesman.
“A full assessment has taken place, which includes identifying damaged bins, bins that are very rarely used and areas where there are multiple waste and/or dog bins within a matter of yards of each other.”
However, residents have hit out at the plans, with some calling them ‘disgusting.’ A petition organised by MP Neil O’Brien, calls for them to be scrapped.
“This goes some way to explaining why I see dog waste bags thrown in trees or bushes, left aside the dog waste bins (because they are already full), or stinking to high heaven in the summer,” said one resident online.
“Heres an idea, make them bigger, make them “airtight” and collect them regularly. Oh, and put them in places where theres likely to be dog waste!!”
“It’s disgusting! Those that are there are often overflowing, the dog poo bins are all rusted,” added another.
“What with no grass cutting, road sweeping and cleaning of any kind, we’ll soon be living in a slum!”
“Worry not, I am sure the council tax will go up again despite the cuts on both the bin collections and now having less litter bins to maintain.”
Bins that will continue to be prioritised include those:
- At bus stops
- Near shops likely to generate customer litter.
- On school routes
- Locations near benches
- Entrances and exits to parks
- Known dog-walking areas
- Places that attract large crowds.
Cllr Samia Haq, Leader of OWBC, said: “We are committed to spending money wisely and this is made all the more important by the severe financial pressure we, and other councils across the country, are currently under.
“Careful consideration has been given to the locations where bins will be removed. Routes will also become more efficient and the team will now have better capacity to monitor the areas where bins fill up regularly and make extra collections when needed.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve our services and rather than spreading ourselves too thinly, this change will allow us to be more targeted and efficient in our litter bin collections, something that we know residents want from us.
“We will continue to monitor bin provision in the borough through seasonal assessments.”
