WHEELED BINS IN ST JAMES - Public Meeting - Wednesday 25 February, 6 to 7.30pm, WRVS


It seems that the first many people in the St James and Bartonsham area knew of the proposed changes in recycling our rubbish, was to read an article in ‘Herefordshire Matters’ entitled ‘Recycling… Not a load of rubbish…’ A public consultation was mentioned in the article as having happened in the summer but certainly not many people seem to have known about this.

Once this news was out, however, many local residents sprang into action and one in particular Glenn Storhaug, has with great passion and aplomb started a campaign to, at least, raise awareness and try to get a public meeting in the St James area to discuss the full range of recycling and collection options. This has spurred many other local people to write to Andy Tector and Nicola Percival, at the Environment and Planning Department at Herefordshire Council.

As Glen said in his letter:
‘Wheeled bins might be the best solution for kerbside recycling and waste collection for many types of housing in Herefordshire. The introduction of bins will, we hope, increase the volume of waste that is recycled (particularly glass) and also improve the working conditions for waste-collection personnel. Unfortunately the wheeled-bin system is entirely inappropriate for the narrow streets and Victorian terraces typical of the St James conservation area and many other similar areas in the city. In these areas there is no provision for the discreet placing of bins in back gardens, driveways etc. so they will inevitably be left standing throughout the week alongside the pavements. This is because (a) the space between house frontage and pavement is usually minimal, (b) there are very few passageways allowing for bins to be wheeled from back to front for collection and (c) the passages behind many terraces, linking the back gardens, are too narrow for the collection of all household bins in the terrace.
 
Because many St James residents do not wish to see their streets permanently cluttered and disfigured by the proposed bins (the 120-litre bins will be hardly less obtrusive than the larger ones) they have opted out of the system --- after discovering, with difficulty, that this is an option. But the continuation of the coloured-bag system for specific opting-out residents can only be a temporary and unsatisfactory solution (a) because so many bags are buried with the waste --- and biodegradable bags are prohibitively expensive apparently, and (b) because of injury to waste-collection personnel from sharp objects and repetitive strain.’

We are now pleased to report that the Environment and Planning Department at Herefordshire Council have been listening to the people, and there will be a consultation meeting on Wednesday 25 February from 6 to 7.30pm at the WRVS, Riverside Learning Centre. It shows how a little dedicated protest can really make a difference!


Posted: Mon - February 2, 2009 at 09:20 am          

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