Evidence to the Street Access Scrutiny Panel from the Regency Square Area Society

Tuesday, 22 September, 2009

1. Regency Square and the streets around it contain business and residential properties. The businesses are mainly hotels, restaurants, bars and shops. More and more businesses are storing their trade waste bins on the public footways. This is unsightly and it can block the footway, forcing passers-by into the street.

2. Here are some examples to illustrate the problem:

2.1. When the premises on the corner of Regency Square and Preston Street were converted from a restaurant to a bar, trade waste bins appeared on the pavement (photo 1). The Regency Square Area Society (RSAS) asked Cityclean to take action. It took over two years to get the bins moved. The problem arose because the plans for the bar did not provide for an on-site waste store. These plans were approved by the planning authority, contrary to its own guidelines.

Photo 1

Photo 1: corner of Regency Square and Preston Street October 2006 (now moved)

2.2. The footway linking disabled parking bays in Clarence Square with the Churchill Square shopping centre is often blocked by trade waste bins belonging to businesses in Western Road (photo 2). These businesses have off street yards where bins can be kept but often they are left on the footway. Cityclean enforcement officers have been assured that this will not happen, but it does.

Photo 2

Photo 2: Between Churchill Square and Clarence Square September 2009

2.3 The restaurant on the corner of Kings Road and Queensbury Mews has a large forecourt where a trade waste bin is stored. However, this forecourt is also used for outside seating so the bin is often moved to the narrow footway nearby (photo 3). After numerous requests, including a letter to the Director for Environment, an enforcement officer discussed the problem with the proprietor. It still regularly blocks the footway.

Photo 3

Photo 3: Southern end of Queensbury Mews October 2006 (still a problem)

2.4. New problems arise all the time. One of the more recent is on the corner of Preston Street and Stone street (photo 4). Time for another email to Cityclean!

Photo 4

Photo 4: Corner of Stone Street and Preston Street September 2009

3. The storage of trade waste is a cost to businesses; it takes up space and requires time to move when a collection is due. Those businesses which put their bins on the public footway are effectively transferring that cost to the public. Council enforcement officers allow this where it doesn't cause obstruction. Where it does, they attempt to negotiate a solution, but often only after repeated complaints.

4. Trade waste bins should not be stored in the street. Enforcement officers should act more quickly and effectively when they are. Businesses that fail to comply with enforcement officers' requests should be fined.

Roger Hinton - Chairman