‘This is surely not the right image for central Warwick’
MHLC-12-03-13 rubbish Mar59 Pictured from the left,Alys Wooley a Resident and Cllr Mandy Liittlejohn who runs the curtain shop, is complaining about overflowing bins with rubbish from Lazy Cow which are attracting rats right outside her shop.
A Warwick shopkeeper and town councillor says she’s had just about enough of the overflowing rubbish bins that are left outside her door most days of the week.
Cllr Mandy Littlejohn (Con, South West) moved her curtain-making business to The Holloway, just off Market Place, last July and quickly became concerned about the state of the commercial-sized dustbins left at the end of the cul-de-sac.
Nearby resident Alys Woolley, whose flat backs on to the side road, told Cllr Littlejohn that she’s been trying to get something done about the bins ever since the popular Lazy Cow bar and restaurant opened in 2010 and produced an excess of waste which she feared was not only unsightly but becoming a health hazard.
Managers at the pub say the bins are emptied regularly and some rubbish comes from other, nearby premises.
But Cllr Littlejohn and other shopkeepers and neighbours in the street say the bins are not emptied often enough and in any case should not be on full view, but tucked away down an alleyway.
Cllr Littlejohn said: “I do know that one of the commercial bins is the property of the Spice Hut in Market Place but that is always locked, whereas the bins for The Lazy Cow are always overflowing and surrounded by extra black pastic bags which we fear are attracting rats.”
Mrs Woolley has actually had a rodent control inspector looking at the street after spotting the occasional rat. While the inspector was able to assure her there was no infestation, he said the bags and half-open bins would naturally attract vermin.
She said: “I’ve lived here nine years and there was no problem until these over-filled bins were left out here overnight.”
Cllr Littlejohn said: “I have complained to the pub and each time I seem to get nowhere.
“I’ve also complained to both the county council, who say that because it’s environmental it’s a district council problem...and then to the district who say it’s a highways problem and so the county’s concern.
“It seems to me nobody wants to take any responsibility for this eyesore but is it the right image for the middle of Warwick?”
Gerard Franklin, on behalf of The Lazy Cow, said: “We are taking this complaint seriously and are currently investigating the issue.
“Our refuse contractor SITA currently provides blue bins for our commercial waste and refuse collection and the number of collections has now been increased from two to four collections per week.
“Our staff are instructed clearly to place waste into the blue bins provided and ensure these are not overflowing with refuse.
“Our investigation is currently underway. However, our initial findings have confirmed that a number of black bin liners of refuse and other items of rubbish have been illegally dumped and fly-tipped next to our blue bins - we believe by other restaurants and licensed premises in the immediate vicinity.”
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Weather for Warwick
Wednesday 22 May 2013
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