Communal bins ‘have become fly-tipping magnets’

Communal bins introduced as a way of keeping neighbourhoods cleaner have instead attracted fly-tipping and graffiti, according to the city’s Conservatives.

The bins were introduced in 2008-09 to solve the problem of seagulls ripping apart black sacks and strewing rubbish across the streets.

Where they’ve been installed, they have worked – but now Brighton and Hove Conservatives say fly-tipping is becoming an increasing problem instead.

The party is now demanding that urgent action is taken to improve the state of the bins across the city.

Local Tory leader Geoffrey Theobald said: “A large number of these black bins have become an absolute eyesore and a public health hazard.

“For a city like Brighton and Hove, whose success depends so heavily upon tourism, the council’s number one priority must be to keep its streets looking clean and attractive.

“It really shouldn’t be rocket science to get this right – after all, most other cities in the UK and abroad manage it – but at the moment Brighton and Hove is failing dismally in its duty.”

Figures obtained by Councillor Graham Cox show that there have been only two prosecutions for fly-tipping in the past three years.

There are several reports of fly-tipping at communal bins to the city council on the FixMyStreet website.

One complainer, whose report is titled Increasingly ludicrous fly-tipping, rants: “Fly-tipping of commercial/builders’ waste at communal bins on Buckingham Road has become a daily occurrence, with an increasingly bizarre selection of items left (today in the accompanying photo we see a large quantity of carpet, some furniture cabinets and a toilet cistern).

“In the last few days I have also see wardrobes, bedsteads, matresses, cookers, fridges and an ironing board.

“Cityclean, you surely need to get a grip on this situation. At this rate, these recidivist maniacs will be leaving asbestos, used cars, dead horses and quite possibly their own mother-in-laws on our pavements.

“You cannot just let it go unchecked. It’s beginning to happen on an industrial scale.”

Executive director environment, development and housing Geoff Raw said: “Brighton and Hove City Council has introduced over 700 communal street bins since 2008 and they are proving popular with residents who use them for their refuse, mainly in the centre.

“The bins have resolved the problems associated with uncontained black bags being ripped open by seagulls and wildlife.

“The communal bin collection service operates seven days a week and street cleaning crews monitor the bins to remove any excess waste.

“We have crews who allocate time to cleaning and removing graffiti from the bins.

“We continue to refurbish damaged communal bins throughout the city and the recycling bins on the sea front have been replaced.  The bins are for domestic waste and are not skips.

“We ask residents to support us in capturing any evidence of persons fly tipping and we will prosecute where practical.”