Stockton council urges charity to bring back riverside bins
Stockton council is urging a charity to bring back the litter bins along the side of the River Tees - after they were removed
Stockton council is urging a charity to bring back the litter bins along the side of the River Tees - after they were removed
The Canal And Rivers Trust wrote to local councils earlier this year - explaining they could no longer afford to maintain them, revealing there's more than 50 in the Tees area alone.
They say maintaining the bins here cost around £30 000 a year, and due to the “huge expense”, they would be removed if local funding solutions could not be found.
A charity has been urged by Stockton councillors to think again over the removal of riverside litter bins which it claims it can no longer afford to maintain.
The Canal & River Trust began taking away waste bins from towpaths running alongside the River Tees last week.
The trust wrote to local councils earlier this year describing the “huge expense” of servicing bins on its land, advising that they would be removed if local funding solutions could not be found.
It said more than 50 bins were located in the area of the Tees and cost £30,000 to maintain each year.
Councillor Paul Rowling, who represents the Stockton town centre ward, said bins were being removed from the riverside walkway passing the Infinity Bridge and up to the Tees Barrage.
“It is such a gem in our area and we do not want rubbish around the place.”
The trust is asking visitors to follow the Countryside Code and take any litter back home to be recycled or disposed of elsewhere responsibly, but Cllr Rowling said he doubted this would work.
In a joint statement, Cllr Rowling, along with fellow ward councillor Pauline Beall and Mandale and Victoria ward council members Richard Eglington and Nathan Gale said: “Although we understand the financial pressures that organisations such as the Canal & River Trust are facing, we are really disappointed by their decision to remove the bins from the riverside.
“The area attracts visitors from far and wide and we are really concerned about the impact that piles of rubbish will have on perceptions of this beautiful area.
“It is a very popular dog walking spot and a place where families gather.
“We ask the Canal & River Trust to have a rethink, but in the meantime we will be working closely with the council to manage any rubbish and to try and find a solution.”
Cllr Rowling said Stockton Council had engaged litter patrols in the area to collect any stray litter, but this was only a short-term measure.
He added: “Council taxpayers’ money should not be used to pay for services on private land, which the landowner has a legal duty to provide.”
Sean McGinley, a director with the Canal & River Trust, said: “Servicing bins – which includes regular emptying, maintaining, cleaning and disposing of the waste – is a huge expense to the trust, with an annual cost of around £90,000 in the Yorkshire and North-East region alone, with the Tees a considerable proportion of this at £30,000.
“We have sought local funding options to adequately service the bins and hoped that local partners would step up to help.
“In Stockton, where the borough council advised that they were not in a position to take on additional liabilities, we have started to remove the 50-plus bins and expect them all to go in the next few months.”
Mr McGinley said the charity was faced with “soaring costs” to look after the region’s canals and river navigations and funding was stretched with essential Government grant funding being cut.
The Government previously said £550m in funding had been awarded to the organisation, while a further £590m was being paid in subsequent years running up to 2037.
Mr McGinley said: “Our priority has to be maintaining the core fabric of the waterways, including the thousands of locks, bridges, aqueducts and other historic structures that make up the canal network, so that we can continue to provide free access to our towpaths for millions of people and maintain the integrity of the infrastructure.
“The decision to remove our bins will save much needed money that will help pay for a long list of vital repairs.
”The trust has many miles of canal where we don’t provide litter bins, including many that have achieved Green Flag Award status.
“Along these canals today, and in future where bins have to be removed, we are asking people who come to enjoy our free-to-visit waterways to follow the Countryside Code and take their litter back with them to be recycled where possible or disposed of responsibly.”
A spokeswoman added: “We have a legal duty to maintain our land, but there is nothing in legislation to require us to provide bins to meet this duty.
“Hence regular litter picks – including in the Tees area – are undertaken by Canal & River Trust staff and volunteers."