Overflowing litter and dog poo bins raise a stink around Thatcham

Litter and dog waste bins are overflowing in Thatcham.

Residents and dog walkers have complained to newburytoday about the grim state of the bins located across the town.

They say the bins present an environmental health hazard and are generally unpleasant.

West Berkshire Council has confirmed staff annual leave and temporary staff unfamiliar with bin collection routes are responsible — and urges residents to take their waste home with them.

“We are aware of the situation with bin collections (dog/litter bins in green spaces and West Berkshire Council parks) across West Berkshire over the past few days,” said a council spokesperson.

“This was due to a combination of staff annual leave and temporary staff who were unfamiliar with the routes.

“These bins are emptied on a once or three times per week frequency, depending on the location.”

WBC is responsible for maintaining and emptying 53 dog waste bins and 47 litter bins in Thatcham.

But it is not just here where bins are overflowing.

In total, WBC is responsible for 785 litter bins and 255 dog waste bins throughout the district.

Its grounds maintenance contractor also empties 105 litter and dog bins on behalf of 19 parish councils.

And many of these bins across Newbury and the wider district are in a similar condition to those in Thatcham.

Speaking about how it plans to address this issue, the council added: “Our contractor will be deploying additional staff to get collections back on track.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused and are working on a contingency plan with our contractor to prevent this from happening again in the future.

“While we work to resolve these issues, please take responsibility for your rubbish by either taking it home with you or finding an empty bin to use.”

Additional information on the council website reads: “The provision of litter and dog waste bins is not a statutory requirement, and we are not duty bound to provide them to the extent currently available.

“Dog waste is no longer considered to be a biohazard and it can be deposited in any public litter bin or your black wheeled bin at home.”

Animal faeces from cats and dogs is classed as offensive waste.

But while such offensive waste is not typically considered dangerous to human or animal health, it can accumulate harmful bacteria if not handled, stored and disposed of correctly, claims The Health and Safety Executive.

You can visit www.westberks.gov.uk/reportaproblem to report dog fouling, overflowing bins and other issues.

Under previously proposed budget cuts, the council planned to remove around 340 litter bins and 230 dog waste bins on a permanent basis.

These figures included six dog waste bins and 30 litter bins in Thatcham.

It also proposed to reduce the frequency of emptying some dog waste bins and litter bins in parks and open spaces — and to cease emptying others completely.

The proposals were expected to save the council up to £90,000 per year.

But after public consultation and further consideration, councillors decided in February not to proceed with the proposal.