How to fight council!

[MelroseGrainger]

Ok, "fight" is a strong word. I'll be polite and nice I promise! But I've just had notification that they want to do our refuse collection (four wheelie bins) from the kerbside at the front of the street, rather than from the back bin lane as it's always been.

The problem is, I can't see how that's practical. Cars are parked bumper to bumper on the street, and at least half of them are parked up on the kerb. How will they pull the bins out between them?

Accessibility for pedestrians will be a huge issue (it already is) with no access practicable for those with prams, wheelchairs or mobility issues. I know of at least three disabled people within a four doors of me who will really struggle to get past bins, as well as the cars.

We will all have to keep our bins in our front gardens now. This is not only impractical for me, but to be honest it will be bloody ugly and smelly! Not to mention will devalue the property value. I wouldn't have bought this house if their was a whole street of bins in front gardens and littering the pavement.

The reasons given to us are the usual "health and safety issues" have been identified with our back lane. I really want to be actually told what these are, so that I and the residents can rectify them so that the bin collections can return to the lane again.

But surely the council own the bin lane, so I don't understand why THEY are not sorting the safety issues?!?

Any advice from anyone who has successfully dealt with the council (I'm in Glasgow) about issues like this before would be welcome. Thanks.

I'd speak to my local councillor if this proposal came up as the change must have been agreed by them.
The council may not own the lane - your title deeds will have the relevant info.
If they do own the lane they need to explain the H& S issues. Good luck!

I would just put the bins out the front. I'm sure the collectors are used to manoeuvring them round parked cars. Accessibility will not be a concern for them as the bins are a) moveable and b) will only be out on the pavement for a few hours, not a permanent fixture. And as for this devaluing your property, give me a break!

Seconded

@TenOhSeven people are already keeping their bins on the pavement, rather than inside their front gardens. So they definitely won’t only be out for “a few hours”, sadly.

The cars are parked bumper to bumper for at least half the road. I’ll be watching with interest to see how far the poor men have to drag the bins to get to the vehicle! Or if they’ll just not bother and leave them full.

I know I sound like an arse to you for saying it will devalue property - I feel like an arse saying it. But it’s true.

I’ve checked our deeds and it looks we we don indeed own a tiny proportion of the back lane. So I’m assuming all the other resident will own tiny proportions, too.

im hoping the council will give enough information about whatever the issue is that I can rally all the neighbours into sorting it. That should be easy…….!!!!😟

It’s pretty expensive round my way and all the houses have 4 bins outside. There are also many communal bins on the street for the nearby flats so a few bins outside doesn’t seem a massive issue. Just make sure you don’t put them out too early and take them in asap so they obstruct the pavement for as little time as possible. When I move mine back from the pavement I usually do at least one of my neighbours as well.

This may be useful
https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/lanetoolkit

Fab, thank you

You'll have 3 or 4 local councillors you can contact. I wouldn't assume that they'd personally overseen the decision though - the wards in Glasgow are massive. It'll either have been a decision delegated to officers and/or have gone through a committee (quite probably on a citywide policy level rather than as a list of individual lanes).

Often the shared ownership lanes have issues with flytipping and rats. Trying to get the owners together to address any issues with the back lane won't be straightforward but if you can manage it it is likely to help your property value.

Why are the cars parking on the pavement, that’s an issue itself if disabled people are having problems with accessibility, complain about that, why can the cars not park in the lane instead? That would solve the problem, especially if you own part of it, your neighbours must too. I’m with you about bins in front of houses, ugly and smelly.

The new on street bin hub scheme may change things if it goes beyond the pilot stage:

https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=30139

According to the BBC news, in some streets it's a H&S issue due to the rats in the area.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-66732675.amp

I agree about the unsightliness of bins in the front garden. A street near me has a split back lane open at two ends. On one half the council allow and collect bins from the lane the other half have to use their front gardens. That half of the street looks more run down and as a result the gardens are not so well maintained. Who wants 4 ugly, and at times smelly, plastic bins to look at whenever leaving the house? My front garden is a garden, with plants and trees in it! The bins block the pavement on collection day forcing people to walk in the road. It does devalue the property and when you consider the mortgage costs many people have you want your house to at keast maintain its value.

https://www.glasgowconsult.co.uk/UploadedFiles/SG1_Part2%20Placemaking%20Consultation%20Apr17.pdf

Look at page 28 of this GCC City Development Plan about Placemaking and you will see that they recommend that bin stores 'should not be located in the front garden'. And '...bins should be located as far away from residential windows as possible.' In a traditional property they suggest this is usually at the bottom of the back garden! Might give you good ammunition. 💪