Stoke-on-Trent Council Seize 200 Bins Left Out in The Street

Stoke-on-Trent Council Seize 200 Bins
Left Out in The Street

Hundreds of wheelie bins have been confiscated in Stoke after they were left out in the street for too long. Stoke-on-Trent city council targeted 38 streets as part of their crackdown on bins being left out. Now the owners of the wheelie bins have to call the council to get them back after they had previously received a warning that their bins would be seized if they continued to flout the rules which say that bins must be put out the day before collection and taken in no later than the end of the collection day. Council officers wrote to residents after they had a walk around the area and noticed that there were a lot of wheelie bins being left in alleyways which was adding to the litter and fly-tipping problem.

Residents have their say

Many residents welcomed the action and say the streets look much better and are also easier to navigate without the bins obstructing them. But some residents have criticised the move, saying that people who have been left without bins have been putting their rubbish out in the street in black bin bags which has attracted wildlife and ended up strewn around the streets. They added that it was also a safety risk as there is ‘glass everywhere.’

Why the council took action

The council took action after receiving a huge 1,248 complaints from residents about bins being left out in the street over the last two years. The council say that anyone who has had their bin seized risks a fine or a court appearance if they repeat the behaviour in the future.

A local councillor said that the council put a lot of resources into two days of action where they removed bins from alleyways and the streets, and cleaned up fly-tipping and litter. He added that it was unfortunate that the council had to take this action but it felt there was no other option because of the impact it was having on responsible households.