Council’s fine threat for leaving bins out overnight
RESIDENTS have been threatened with fines for leaving their bins out overnight.
The warning was left on bins that were still on the street after midnight on collection day.
The note from Wigan council also said bins could be permanently removed if they are not clearly labelled with house numbers.
It read: “Please put your house number on your bins as unnumbered bins will be removed from site.
“Your bins must be taken in by midnight on day of collection to avoid a FINE.”
Adam Peers had left his bins out because he wasn’t able to get home in time.
He had been at work and slept at another address.
“Am I no longer allowed to sleep out or go on holiday in fear of a fine off our council? I always recycle and never not paid council tax, just makes me want to not bother anymore,” he wrote on the Residents Stand Against Wigan Council Facebook group.
Jayson Lomax-Hargreaves said: “Wigan council are a disgrace. Three-weekly bin collections, fines plus them going through our bins to make sure we are recycling.
“Now we have to have them out before 6am but can’t leave them out overnight? Yeah, we will see if I get fined. I’ll fight it.”
Paul Barton, Wigan council’s assistant director for environment, said: “The warning sticker is the first step in our process leading to enforcement and is just a reminder not to leave the bin out and to number it.”
He said that while the council is able to fine people for leaving their bins out, it does not plan to do so in all circumstances.
He said: “All local authorities have the powers to issue such fines. We would always take a common sense approach and if there was a genuine reason the bin was left out no further action would be taken.
“Our focus is always on education and we have never issued a fine to a resident for leaving their bin out.
“It’s important that residents number their bins and look after them so they aren’t at risk of vandalism or theft.”
Oldham, Manchester, Rochdale, Bury, Trafford and Salford councils all confirmed they will not be introducing similar penalties. Tameside, Bolton and Stockport did not respond when asked about potential fines by the M.E.N.