January 22, 2019 2.54 pm This story is over 62 months old

“Public backlash” warning if Gainsborough waste issues remain

Councillors will vote to keep current schemes as they are, despite calls for new measures
Bags have been split or burst open causing even worse messes. Photo supplied by Councillor Trevor Young.

A Gainsborough councillor has warned of a public backlash from people who have “had enough of living in filth” if recent waste collection and enforcement improvements slip as members are set to vote to keep the status quo next week.

West Lindsey District Council’s Prosperous Communities committee on Tuesday will be asked to keep the current collection method for ten-foot alleys in the town, while asking for a new assessment on the South West Ward to be presented in a year’s time.

It follows a review by officers which says residents are satisfied with the current service.

“There is a clear message from those residents who engaged with the project that they are happy with the current collection methodology and have no desire to move to wheeled bins,” says the report.

Some of the waste piled up prior to the review being carried out. Photo supplied by Councillor Trevor Young.

It does however, highlight the success of increased enforcement and CCTV over the past six months which has seen officers use new powers to tackle environment crimes including fixed penalty notices.

“Residents have noticed some small improvements in the street-scene in recent months following an increased enforcement presence and work undertaken with supermarkets around the retrieval of trolleys,” the report adds.

In some parts of Gainsborough there are “high levels of fly-tipping” and during a six week assessment more than 11 tonnes of materials were removed from 333 separate incidences.

Future plans will see five permanent CCTV cameras and two mobile installed in the area by the end of March.

Councillor Trevor Young with some of the waste prior to the review. Photo supplied by Councillor Young.

Ward councillor Trevor Young, who instigated the review with a motion to full council in September last year, told Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Jaines he felt the move was a “missed opportunity”.

“I think the council could have explored different options in terms of collection and creatively employed some pilot areas in terms of alternatives thoughts and ways of collecting both waste and recycling.”

However, he praised the success of the enforcement work and said there was a “noticeable difference”, however, added that the challenge was to “keep that up and maintain that to a certain level and standard”.

“We need to ensure that the situation doesn’t fall back into the level it was last year.

“Thats the way it could go quite easily. Most residents concern is slipping back to the standard if what it was last year, which is totally unacceptable.

“I think they would be in for a bit of backlash if they slipped back quite quickly. It’s a big issue that residents in that part of the wards get. They have had enough of having to live in filth.”

SUBSCRIBE TO LOCAL DEMOCRACY WEEKLY, our exclusive email newsletter with highlights from coverage every week, as well as insights and analysis from our local democracy reporters.