● Photo by Marc Hodgson
Free Online at www.coastalviewandmoornews.co.uk The Community Newspaper for the Towns and Villages of East Cleveland, Redcar & North York Moors, telling the real news and views of the people of our region Issue 81 July - August 2017
•• This month 26,300 copies ••
It's bin a growing concern home. Mrs. Mogg doesn't steal her neighbour's bin if she can't find hers. Bin crews are not at fault here either. The whole Neighbourhoods department have had to adapt to huge chunks of funding being cut from their budget reducing their fleets and cutting the jobs needed to ensure bins are emptied across the borough. Efficiencies have to be made to ensure the rounds get done. Time saving? Yes. Efficient in theory? Yes. Efficient in practice? Not really. This process is failing many residents and now many no longer have a bin or are willing to request a replacement. Once bitten by the fine..., I mean replacement cost, many don't bother again. The net result brings added costs to recycling, added costs of clearing up loose bags and the overspill from 'bin sharing', added costs of increased fly tipping, and of course added costs from the increases in bin theft. These social issues are a direct consequence of
M
By Cllr Carl Quartermain (Coatham Ward)
eet Mrs Hogg from the Coatham Ward in Redcar; she has been hit time and time again by bin theft and thereafter expected to pay for a replacement. This lovely lady in her 80's rang me desperately upset as her last hope not to be hit yet again by this unjust payment that feels as much a fine as it is a costing exercise. Is it right that elderly residents like Mrs. Mogg who are less mobile have to simply hope for the best? What about those who work all day only to come home to find their bin gone! Is it fair they then have to pay for a replacement? Is it right
that our residents are continually being penalised by having to pay for these replacements for a problem that is completely not their fault? This has become a big issue for residents right across the borough and is particularly more common within hotspots that are built up or along terraced streets that back onto alleyways where bin collections occur. Changes to the collection process sees bins wheeled out ahead of the wagon so emptying is quicker but thereafter are not put back. All of the bins are left at the end of alleys for residents to retrieve themselves. Specifically the problem Mrs. Mogg faces weekly as she is expected to take the long walk down the alley, search for hers amongst the many others and wheel it all the way
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the Tories hitting the poorest to protect the richest through their unnecessary austerity programme. This borough will have lost almost £100m of central government funding by 2020 and the community are clearly paying for it through ineffective efficiencies. My suggestion for all homes backing onto alleys that have felt this problem (along with the many other antisocial issues) - request being considered for an alley gating programme. This initiative is working effectively in one of Coatham's streets and can be seen as the model for everywhere suffering these injustices. Fast tracking this programme across all qualifying alleys will save a fortune in the long run while creating a safer, kinder environment. Mrs. Hogg agrees. Bins are property. I have reported a resident to the police on suspicion of stealing bins to aide their business. If you know or suspect anyone of stealing other residents' property please call 101.