Residents in Gladstone Street, Peterborough complain of overflowing bins as rubbish not collected for a month
Residents living in Gladstone Street in Peterborough have spoken of how bins have been left overflowing as rubbish has not been collected for a month.
Bin crews have not been able to access the ‘town end’ of the street since the end of January to collect black bins – leading to black bags filled with rubbish lining the streets – and bin lids being unable to be closed.
Peterborough City Council said that bin lorries had been unable to access the street due to illegally parked cars – as well as a major fire in near-by Russell Street on February 17, that left a number of roads in the area closed.
“Bin bags left beside the black bins have been ripped open by rodents”
But one resident living in the street said: “The bins are now overflowing. Residents have been forced to leave additional rubbish beside their black bins, and some have resorted to depositing waste at the end of the street due to the lack of collections. This has led to repeated instances of fly-tipping. Reports have been raised with the council for at least the past three weeks regarding both missed collections and accumulated waste.
“Cleanup crews have been attending daily at the bottom end of Gladstone Street to clear loose rubbish; however, this only addresses waste already scattered and does not resolve the core issue that the bins themselves are not being emptied. Bin bags left beside the black bins have been ripped open by rodents, resulting in rubbish being strewn across the street, and the bins now smell extremely unpleasant.
“The black bins were last emptied on 20 January. Given the usual collection schedule, this means multiple collections have been missed over a four-week period.
“Residents have been informed that refuse vehicles have been unable to access the street due to parked cars. While there is an ongoing issue with double parking on the corners, this is illegal parking and should be addressed accordingly. It is important to note that the vehicles causing obstruction are not those of Gladstone Street residents, but customers of the takeaway and butcher shops located on the corner. It is therefore unfair that residents are effectively penalised through missed collections due to this ongoing issue.”
“Letters are being sent to residents of Gladstone Street to remind them that clear access is required on collection days"
A spokesperson for Peterborough City Council said: “We have been experiencing ongoing access issues in Gladstone Street that have affected collections, including blocked access for our bin lorries caused by illegally parked vehicles and the recent fire on Russell Street on a scheduled collection day which prevented access to the street.
“Our crews have made multiple attempts to complete collections but there are practical limits to how many repeat attempts can be made within daily operational constraints.
“Letters are being sent to residents of Gladstone Street to remind them that clear access is required on collection days and to encourage considerate parking. We are also asking parking enforcement to help support our ongoing access issues.”