Overflowing bins still causing problems in Shropshire

Earlier this month, the Local Democracy Reporting Service was sent photos from across the county showing bins overflowing, and takeaway boxes and drinks balanced precariously on top.

This included at the Mere in Ellesmere, as well as bursting bins in Market Drayton and Whitchurch.

The issues centred on Kier taking over the contract from Iderverde, with the transition causing delays.

Shropshire Council said it is confident the issues will be sorted by the end of the month, with the collection service now being digitised.

However, the North Shropshire Conservative Association (NSCA) says residents in Whitchurch and other areas of north Shropshire are still reporting overflowing bins, increasing levels of litter, and a visible decline in the condition of public spaces.

Cigarette butts are left by a bin in Whitchurch. Picture: NSCA

One picture taken last Saturday (May 23) shows an overflowing bin in Whitchurch, while another has lots of discarded cigarette butts next to it.

NSCA has written to Councillor David Vasmer, portfolio holder for highways, asking for clarification on the current state of street-cleaning services and the actions being taken to address the issues.

“Residents are contacting us because they feel standards are slipping badly across north Shropshire,” said Richard Hamilton, head of communications at NSCA.

“People expect clean streets and properly maintained public spaces, particularly at a time when council tax continues to rise.

“Instead, many residents feel things are moving in the wrong direction.

“Overflowing bins and litter-strewn streets are becoming an increasingly common complaint.

“We are asking the council to explain what has gone wrong, what action is being taken and how quickly residents can expect to see improvements.”

Shropshire Council says that, at this stage, it is unable to add anything further to a press release it issued on May 6 highlighting the issues.

At the time, Councillor Vasmer said: “I know that some areas have been experiencing problems with their litter bin collections in recent weeks and I wanted to explain why, but also reassure people that the changes will lead to an improvement in the way bins are emptied.

“The change of contractor has, regrettably, seen some bin collections delayed and I know this has caused concern in many parts of the county.

“However, we are confident that these issues will be sorted out by the end of this month, and that – from that point – we will then see the litter bin emptying service become more efficient and, as our data grows, we will be better able to predict when bins need to be emptied more often.”