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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How far do public waste and dog poo bins need to be from house

189 replies

Stinkypoobin · 10/07/2023 09:29

Hi,

I’m hoping someone on here can help me, perhaps who work in council offices. A few months ago a public bin (litter and dog waste) was placed by the council directly in front of my house. I have tried researching briefly but can’t find the answer I need. What regulations are there for the placement of these bins? Should the people living directly opposite (within direct view when looking out of window) been consulted?

I love where I live because I am not overlooked as we have a lovely green in front, which is now obscured by this bin. My next door neighbour had her house on the market and has now taken it down. Every person who viewed the house commented on the bin.

when it’s windy if the bin is full the litter ends up all over my front garden.

I will attach a photo. I was thinking king of writing to council with a FOI request to find out what consultation was carried out.

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
andymary · 10/07/2023 10:17

"when it’s windy if the bin is full the litter ends up all over my front garden."

If the bin gets full often, then it sounds like it's time to contact the council and ask them to install a 2nd bin next to the first one.

Mumtothreegirlies · 10/07/2023 10:24

When you spoke about this bin I imagined it would be directly in front of your garden stinking the place out but yabu this bin isnt close at all. You live in a normal residential street not dissimilar to mine . I get rubbish blowing into my garden so would welcome a bin near mine like this.

Caradonna · 10/07/2023 10:27

Is it cemented in. Perhaps you can move it.
Get strong men in orange ‘council’ type jackets and move it to corner of road or similar.

GasPanic · 10/07/2023 10:27

Not sure I would like this, as these bins absolutely stink in hot weather, although not sure that the stench and buzzing insects would reach across an entire road. You still have a view of a nice green area.

Basically when you buy a house you don't buy the view as well. But some people think they are entitled to this.

Astrabees · 10/07/2023 10:28

I have exactly this bin over the road from my house, I have never given it a second thought.

Stinkypoobin · 10/07/2023 10:30

Sirzy · 10/07/2023 10:08

How do you get lots of litter blowing from an enclosed bin like that?

When it hasn’t been emptied for a while and it’s windy. You’re just gonna have to take my word for it 😂🙄

OP posts:
WaitingForNothingGood · 10/07/2023 10:30

Not sure why OP is getting a hard time she clearly said the bin was 'directly opposite' in her OP.

TBH I wouldn't like it either but not sure it could have been better placed.

JohnnysSoLongAtTheFair · 10/07/2023 10:30

I wonder if this thread will get taken down, because the OP isn’t getting the responses she wanted.

DataNotLore · 10/07/2023 10:34

@Stinkypoobin

You are perfectly within your rights to ask them to empty it more often.

If you don't want to look at normal street furniture, you shouldn't live in an urban or a suburban area.

DataNotLore · 10/07/2023 10:35

WaitingForNothingGood · 10/07/2023 10:30

Not sure why OP is getting a hard time she clearly said the bin was 'directly opposite' in her OP.

TBH I wouldn't like it either but not sure it could have been better placed.

In front of somebody else's house

sleepyscientist · 10/07/2023 10:35

wonkylegs · 10/07/2023 10:10

@Stinkypoobin you would not be unreasonable to ask that it's regularly emptied and that it's not overflowing however the photo you show is classic NIMBYISM with regards to placement.
It's not 'spoiling' your view or right outside your house - it's a fairly innocuous piece of street furniture, located on a green over the road, that you look over. How far away do you think is reasonable?
I presume you prefer that there is an appropriate bin for dog waste disposal or would you prefer to dodge shit on the pavement outside your house or have poo bags hanging from the trees on the green (that's a favourite at the reservoirs where I live where no dog poo bins are provided)

People could take their dog poo home!

OP I would focus on getting the council to empty it properly then you won't have the litter issue. Why these bins can't be like the McDonald's ones with a small hole and big lid to stop the wind blowing the rubbish out is beyond me. Would also be better if it was painted green vs black.

Stinkypoobin · 10/07/2023 10:36

DataNotLore · 10/07/2023 10:35

In front of somebody else's house

Actually I have asked for it to be moved about 10 metres along where it’s not in front of anyone house and still accessible for people walking past.

OP posts:
Sissynova · 10/07/2023 10:38

Stinkypoobin · 10/07/2023 10:30

When it hasn’t been emptied for a while and it’s windy. You’re just gonna have to take my word for it 😂🙄

Your word isn't sounding all that reliable...

Stinkypoobin · 10/07/2023 10:39

JohnnysSoLongAtTheFair · 10/07/2023 10:30

I wonder if this thread will get taken down, because the OP isn’t getting the responses she wanted.

No, I am not asking for opinions just any knowledge of how decisions like this are made. I’m guessing no one commenting so far works in council. I’ll keep it up on the off chance someone more knowledgeable comes along. Thanks for your input.

OP posts:
Stinkypoobin · 10/07/2023 10:39

Sissynova · 10/07/2023 10:38

Your word isn't sounding all that reliable...

Evidence??

OP posts:
DataNotLore · 10/07/2023 10:39

@Stinkypoobin

One poster does work at the council and in the relevant dept

Sissynova · 10/07/2023 10:41

Stinkypoobin · 10/07/2023 10:39

No, I am not asking for opinions just any knowledge of how decisions like this are made. I’m guessing no one commenting so far works in council. I’ll keep it up on the off chance someone more knowledgeable comes along. Thanks for your input.

The answer is no, the council do not need to undertake a public consultation for the placement of a bin.

It is a bin in a public park not a 4 unit planning application.

Stinkypoobin · 10/07/2023 10:42

DataNotLore · 10/07/2023 10:39

@Stinkypoobin

One poster does work at the council and in the relevant dept

Thank you, I’ll have a scroll through.

OP posts:
unsync · 10/07/2023 10:43

I was expecting a red dog poo bin directly outside your front door. That's fine. It's a standard council litter bin.

If loose litter upsets you, find out if your council has community litter pick schemes and set one up. Get the community involved. Do something positive about it.

Drews · 10/07/2023 10:44

How close is your own wheelie bin to your house?

YouveGotAFastCar · 10/07/2023 10:45

@Stinkypoobin There's no legal requirement for the council to carry out a consultation on where to place a bin.

There's no legal requirement for them to be placed a specific distance from people's homes. There are best practices, but the bin in your photo would be very much over those, so they wouldn't help you at all. Infact, they'd probably do the opposite.

If you and your neighbour nicely write and explain the issue, it's possible that the council will agree to move the bin, if there is a suitable spot to move it to that won't cause inconvenience to anyone else - but you would be expected to foot the cost, and as it will be council contractors that do the work, it may not be as competitive as you'd usually expect. It should be 'reasonable', but you wouldn't be able to challenge it, really; as the alternative would be that the bin doesn't move. But you'd presumably be able to split it with next door, if she's trying to sell and believes the bin is the issue, rather than anything else.

In time, it probably will become "just one of those things" that you don't notice as much anymore, and for the next owners of your homes, it will always have been there.

Stinkypoobin · 10/07/2023 10:48

Sissynova · 10/07/2023 10:41

The answer is no, the council do not need to undertake a public consultation for the placement of a bin.

It is a bin in a public park not a 4 unit planning application.

It isn’t a public park.

OP posts:
Stinkypoobin · 10/07/2023 10:49

YouveGotAFastCar · 10/07/2023 10:45

@Stinkypoobin There's no legal requirement for the council to carry out a consultation on where to place a bin.

There's no legal requirement for them to be placed a specific distance from people's homes. There are best practices, but the bin in your photo would be very much over those, so they wouldn't help you at all. Infact, they'd probably do the opposite.

If you and your neighbour nicely write and explain the issue, it's possible that the council will agree to move the bin, if there is a suitable spot to move it to that won't cause inconvenience to anyone else - but you would be expected to foot the cost, and as it will be council contractors that do the work, it may not be as competitive as you'd usually expect. It should be 'reasonable', but you wouldn't be able to challenge it, really; as the alternative would be that the bin doesn't move. But you'd presumably be able to split it with next door, if she's trying to sell and believes the bin is the issue, rather than anything else.

In time, it probably will become "just one of those things" that you don't notice as much anymore, and for the next owners of your homes, it will always have been there.

Thank you

OP posts:
helpfulperson · 10/07/2023 10:49

So what it is it? A shared garden?

fyn · 10/07/2023 10:53

I run a parish council and they’d 100% not move it at their cost. It’s a few hundred pounds to have a bin concreted in. The councillors here would consider moving it if you covered the costs and it wouldn’t make collection more difficult.