Overflowing litter bins - Lib Dems challenge council to fulfil their commitment to roll out larger bins in York
Liberal Democrat campaigners in the Heslington & University area are calling on the council to hurry up and fulfil their commitment to roll out larger waste bins in busy areas of York where they are needed.
In April last year the Executive Member for Environment considered proposals for larger bins in the city centre at a council meeting. Lib Dem campaigner Andrew Mortimer spoke at the meeting and raised the need for larger bins in other parts of the city, not just the city centre. Andrew said “I gave an example of the bin outside the shops on Hull Road which is far too small for the number of fast-food takeaways in the area. The bin is often full after a busy Saturday and because the council don’t empty bins in this area until Monday, it is usually full and often overflowing all day Sunday too.”
The minutes of the council meeting (Executive Member for Environment Decision Session 29th April 2025) published online record that ‘the Executive Member declared a commitment to the roll out of larger bins across wider areas of the city’. Andrew said “so far no action has been taken and the bin at Hull Road shops remains totally inadequate. Over the last couple of weekends the situation has been appalling with litter and food waste on the pavement around the bin. We are concerned that food waste in the open will attract vermin and for it to be left for a couple of days before it is cleaned up is just wrong. I’ve tried to raise the issue directly with the Executive member responsible but have not received a response. I know that local residents are very unhappy that after 18 months nothing has happened. It really is time for the council to fulfil their commitment and get on with providing a larger bin for Hull Road Shops.”