Margate residents who have been baffled by the continual disappearance and reappearance of a communal bin have now been told it should not have been in the street anyway!
In addition the council has sent flytip warning letters– with several people issued fines and investigations also taking place.
People living near the top of Trinity Hill and Fort Crescent had been using the paladin bin, which has been in place for some three years according to residents, because of difficulty with collections.
The bin disappeared when the funfair came to Margate, although it was not the fair workers that removed it. A luckless resident attempted to take another bin from the fair but was caught by their security. It then reappeared only to once again disappear shortly afterwards.
One resident said: “It has been an ongoing issue. We thought the council had been trying to solve the issue of the overflowing bin – however as they removed the recycling point in Trinity Square last year this is the only bin service for numerous tenants who do not have their waste collected or are able to recycle. The closest recycling bins are in Palm Bay which overflow constantly.
“The council provide ample bins on the sea front for tourists. Why can’t they for residents?”
In absence of the bin rubbish has piled up in the spot where it stood, with a chalked message on the wall saying “insert bin here!”
The resident said: ”It’s a battle between the council and residents at this stage. A street cleaner has been clearing it up every day. He firmly told a few of us we’d get done for fly tipping but we weren’t actually putting our rubbish there, other people have been. We were simply thanking him for his hard work but I understand his frustration.
“It’s the council’s responsibility to provide enough waste disposal for its residents. The issue isn’t naughty residents, it’s not enough bins. It’s really that simple.”
Thanet council says residents do receive weekly collections and can sign up for the neighbourhood recycling scheme.
A council spokesperson said: “The large black bin was not placed there by Thanet District Council. It was blocking the pavement and being misused by nearby residents to dispose of their residual waste and was creating significant fly-tipping issues.
“The bin was removed in mid-August and residents at both Fort Mansions and Trinity Square have been written to with reminders about their responsibility to dispose of waste responsibly, as well as being given tips on waste minimisation. Residents in these areas already receive weekly collections of their residual waste and have the option to sign-up to the Neighbourhood Recycling Scheme.
“This area is monitored by CCTV – fines have been issued by our Streetscene enforcement team and there are several ongoing investigations.
“Signage will be erected to remind people that fly-tipping is illegal and can lead to a £400 fixed penalty notice or a criminal prosecution.”
Why does everything have to be so complicated??? Put the bins there resident puts rubbish in bin council empty bins.
It’s not difficult to follow is it.
Not really but its the extent to which it gets abused, chap today using the bins at bottom of Edgar Road busy emptying the contents of his bags of rubbish into the bin , no doubt so he can get more stuff and do same again. Looked like buildingg waste rather than household ( but only saw from other side of road)
There is constant business waste being put in or next to the bins at Edgar Rd. I often see people with vans and cars emptying the contents out to those bins but it says bagged waste only and is for local residents with bin access not people doing house renovations or builders to fly-tip. I have reported it many times but never know if TDC does anything as do not hear back.
Leave the bin, and supply an extra one. Why do these incompetent council officers not understand anything that is just plain simple?
this problem is because you get charged for rubbish in the tip, getting rid of this charge will make a huge difference, or pick up rubbish for free from households, must save money in the end get rid of fly tipping and make thanet a cleaner nicer place to live
Those who think it’s a good idea to have a huge bin there obviously never wait at bus stops. Yes, give ’em a bin (or two), but move it to somewhere else.
The bin has been there for four years plus, I used to use the bus stop there when I went to the doctors opposite where bin is and the bin was always in the way for getting off the bus as I had crutches and the last time I went to that doctors was March 2016 that’s 4 years 6 months, so if the residents have been using it for all that time at least and TDC have emptied it and replaced it, it has taken them a long time to realise the so called mistake. They need to leave it there at least when it is there it will always be cleaner around there and especially as a doctors surgery opposite, come on TDC you know it’s the right thing to do and leave the bin there,
Forgive my ignorance but don’t these residents have the same waste & recycling bins & the red sacks for paper & card as the rest of us? Why do they need a communal bin in the first place? The Trinity Square recycling bins were being filled up with idiots dumping electronics & all sorts in there-abusing the service until it was eventually taken away.
For the most part those in cliftonville, margate central, westbrook etc are not interested in recycling , in cliftonville ( not sure about the others) recycling is something you can opt into. Its been found that the amounts of contaminated waste when recycling was tried meant that it was an expensive waste of time in cliftonville.
The problem largely lies in the attitudes of the residents though there is an issue with a good number of flats where there is no refuse storage ( tdc planning didn’t/don’t check that its been provided during conversions and its not in the remit of building control). In addition refuse crews will no longer go into the majority of bin stores to clear them, residents and tenants won’t use them properly so they end up full of rotting waste and in the end landlords lock them up.
But no one is allowed to criticise the residents so you end up with nothing being solved. To their credit tdc refuse staff try to keep the area clean, the bulk bins are emptied regularly, but the volumes of waste that some produce is quite unbelievable.. About 10 years ago i was told by a tdc officer that the cost of refuse collection in cliftonville was around 180k per annum higher than it should be. Been a problem for 20 years that i know of and likely will be 20 hence. Though believe it or not things are much better than they used to be.
I overwintered in Spain for 8 years, and they had the large waste bins on every street corner, that were emptied daily! Yes, businesses/builders do dump their waste in these bins, rather than take it to the tip, where they have to pay, so make it free! This would cut down on Fly Tipping as well!
Ridiculous comment. “Make it free” Someone has to pay for this and the types that fly tip will do it whatever. A bit like the individuals that throw their drink cans and bits and pieces on the pavement or in the gutter. Plus why should people subsidise trade waste!