December 13, 2005
Burnham-On-Sea gets ‘wheelie’ serious about tackling litter problems
More than 900 homes across Burnham-On-Sea look set to receive free wheelie bins next year as part of an effort to stamp out problems with seagulls in the town.
Sedgemoor District Council is considering distributing the bins in a bid to make pavements and streets tidier.
Bin bags, it says, are often broken open in bad weather or by seabirds and rubbish is strewn across roads.
Those areas of Burnham which could receive the wheelie bins include streets and roads between Maddocks Slade and Maple Drive, including streets off The Esplanade such as Pier Street, Adam Street, Cross Street, College Street and some properties in Oxford Street and Manor Road, plus the Lundy Drive Estate west of Marine Drive.
“Generally, each household will be issued with one dark grey 180 litre wheeled bin, the same size as the green wheeled bins we use for the garden waste service,” said district council spokeswoman Teresa Harvey.
It is hoped that the new bins will be in place for February 2006, although a survey will be carried out over the next few months to see where the bins would be inappropriate. Here, alternative arrangements will be made and some households will remain using black bags. Larger households may be given two wheelie bins and there will also be the offer of help and advice for the elderly and disabled.
Burnham Town Council Leader Peter Clayton told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I am delighted to see the introduction of wheelie bins into the town. I feel this is long overdue and a sensible way forward.”
“It is time Sedgemoor introduced wheelie bins in to all areas of the town where possible – the black bag approach only leads to problems as we have come to see. Perhaps the seagulls have done us a favour.”
“It is important we monitor the situation and inform Sedgemoor of other areas that are being affected as a result of the introduction of these bins.”
A leaflet outlining the new arrangements and explaining why they are being introduced will be distributed. Refuse will continue to be collected once a week, with recycling once a fortnight.
