Rotherham: Residents share photo of overflowing bin with dog waste bags piled high

Chris Thoroughgood wrote to The Star to complain about the public bin outside his property on the Waverley development, which he claims is regularly left overflowing because it goes unemptied for weeks on end.

He has shared a photograph of the bin taken this week, showing it overflowing and with dog waste bags piled on top of it.

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According to Chris, it is an ongoing issue, with himself and other neighbours reporting it regularly to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.

He said: “Time and time again this bin outside our house is not emptied and time and time again it's the local neighbours that report it and it takes weeks and weeks to get sorted.

“Our child and the neighbours children play on the foot path and the other residents on the estate are too inconsiderate/short of intelligence to think that the bin is full and use another bin so they just keep piling their dog waste outside our home.”

Conservative councillor Joshua Bacon recently warned that without improvements, Rotherham could face issues similar to those seen in Birmingham, where bin collection problems have made national headlines.

However, the council responded to his criticism by claiming his concerns came after a bank holiday weekend and did not reflect typical service.

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Sam Barstow, the council’s assistant director of community safety and street scene, said: “The council has been proactive in continuing to address littering in the borough.

“Since 2020, we have increased the number of bins on the streets from 2,402 to 2,536, many of which are double the capacity of the original bins. During the same period, we have increased the frequency of street bin emptying, which has resulted in a 73 per cent decrease in reported complaints.

“Littering is becoming increasingly problematic within the borough, and we appreciate residents’ help in addressing this issue. In many areas where bins are overflowing during busy periods, another bin is often a short distance away. Alternatively, we encourage people to take litter home if possible.

“The council continues to invest in tackling littering and data is regularly reviewed to identify any areas which may need additional bins or a change in collections. People can report any issues regarding a street bin on our website – www.rotherham.gov.uk/bins.”

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