Communal bins 'dominate' streets in seaside town

Businesses want "urgent action" over the growing number of commercial waste bins which are "dominating" streets.

Falmouth Business Improvement District (BID) said there had been no plan by Cornwall Council to tackle the increasing number of commercial bins lining the town centre, despite meetings with councillors, officers and traders.

Falmouth BID said it had proposed solutions, such as creating commercial bin storage areas in unused area of council-owned car parks, but the authority had rejected them.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said it was aware of the concerns and wants to work with businesses, commercial waste collection companies and the town council to explore possible solutions.

Falmouth BID said alternative options to solve the eyesore included introducing screened or enclosed storage areas, and businesses had also expressed a willingness to explore shared waste facilities to reduce the number of individual bins on the streets.

Manager Keren Cooksey said: "No one is pretending this is an easy problem to solve, but doing nothing isn't a solution either.

"In some parts of town the situation is getting noticeably worse, with pavements dominated by commercial bins that affect the appearance of our streets create accessibility issues and leave a poor impression for residents and visitors."

She said representatives from waste contractor SUEZ had met with the town manager and herself to explore ways waste collection and storage could be improved.

As part of that work, a survey for businesses has been launched to ask about their current waste arrangements.

Cooksey added: "Before any solutions can be developed, we need a clearer picture of how waste is currently managed across Falmouth.

"This affects the whole town and we need everyone around the table if we're going to find a solution that works."

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