St Albans litter bins may be removed as part of new strategy

The strategy was approved by St Albans City & District Council's public realm committee on Wednesday (June 26).

Litter hotspots will now be prioritised, along with "responding to public concerns and ensuring bins are of the right design and in the right places".

As part of the strategy, litter bins "at spots where there has been significant and consistent littering and fly-tipping" may be removed as part of a trial.

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According to St Albans City & District Council, this is due to research that has shown areas can "reduce or eliminate" littering by removing bins in certain areas.

Harpenden town centre and a school in the town were given as examples of where this tactic has been effective.

One resident - Peter Wares, of the city's Sopwell ward - expressed concerns over the litter bins in his area.

Peter Wares is concerned that the Green Ring's 'shoppers bench' may be removed. (Image: Peter Wares)

He told The Herts Advertiser: "Whilst the council has, in general, a good record of emptying bins once reported, reporting bins are becoming increasingly more difficult to report due to the fact council’s contact details and reference number are now illegible on many bins.

"I‘m also concerned that one of the objectives of this new strategy is 'to remove and reduce litter bins' which I feel might result in the local much valued 'shoppers bench' on the Green Ring being moved."

The council has a budget of £18,000 for the upkeep of the bins. (Image: Peter Wares)

Overall, the council is responsible for 630 street litter bins across the district, along with 225 litter and 115 dog bins in parks and green spaces.

The local authority has a £18,000 per year budget for the upkeep of these bins.

Cllr Lynn Cunningham, the public realm committee’s vice chair and lead for waste and recycling, said: "We know our residents want their streets and open spaces to be clean, tidy and free of litter which can be a terrible eyesore.

Each bin costs around £700 to purchase and install. (Image: Peter Ware)

“Providing a well-maintained infrastructure of litter bins across the district is one of the most important measures we can take to deal with this issue.

“I am pleased that the committee has approved the strategy as it provides us with a fair and transparent framework for making key decisions.

“We will refer to the strategy for guidance when we have to decide matters such as where best to place and to relocate bins, how to respond to requests for bins and what sort of bins we should use.

“We also recognise the importance of managing the capacity of our bins against demand, as well as providing very clear information and education to encourage people to dispose of their litter responsibly.

"I’m sure residents will support this initiative.”