A new wheelie bin trial in Milton Keynes has been labelled as rubbish by residents who are being threatened with fines of £1000 if they fail to comply.
Each household in the trial areas will have four of the large bins to take garden waste, food, plastics and glass, and household matter.
Residents say the bins are unsightly and ruin the aesthetic of the pretty Victorian terraced houses, and they are furious that the council offered no consultation ahead of the trial launching.
“I was angered when I received a letter informing me that we would be getting three additional plastic wheelie bins,” said Richard Fisher. "The letter said we had been chosen to take part in a pilot for new recycling services along with 3000 other homes across Milton Keynes.
“A formal notice also stated that if we don't follow the rules we could be fined up to £1000. It seems totally unfair to suddenly get this information just before the pilot scheme without any consultation with residents.
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“No thought seemed to have been put into whether it was practical to store these large bins, what visual impact it would have on our local environment, and how adding up to 9000 new plastic bins would help in reducing the amount of plastic waste in the world.”
Other residents joined Richard and voiced their concerns, but he says that emails to the council were met only with 'standard replies.'
“The letters told us it was tough and we would have to put up with it. So when the bins were starting to be delivered in the early mornings last week, I felt inspired to go for a walk and capture some footage to demonstrate my concerns,” he said.
Watch the videos: here and here
Milton Keynes Council have been contacted for comment.
