Police urge dash to collect discarded store trolleys
POLICE officers and housing staff have agreed to ask retailers to collect discarded trolleys after a Runcorn resident complained about one area that has been badly affected.
A shocked social media user posted a clip on Twitter showing the mess near The Knoll and The Uplands on the outer edge of Palacefields as she called for action – and reported more than 20 discarded trolleys in the area.
The Weekly News has visited the neighbourhood and found three main clusters of dumped trolleys from various stores.
Two of the clusters were in the subways next to The Knoll and the other was by the path near a pedestrian entrance to The Uplands.
One subway alone had five dumped trolleys, including two full of leaves.
The other subway had three and the Uplands entry opposite
Shopping City North bus station had five.
Some of the brands clearly showed which shops they were from but some were not clearly marked.
Although the residential areas and houses themselves were well
●
● kept, two trolleys were parked together on The Knoll and another two were parked neatly in a culvert in The Uplands as though being stored neatly for routine use.
It is not clear whether any of the others were intended to be returned or used again, although the two full of leaves and another broken one no longer appeared practical.
The wider Halton Lea electoral ward has high levels of deprivation and it may be that trolleys are needed to routinely transport shopping by people in the most difficult financial position.
In addition to the trolleys, two full bin bags had been dumped in some bushes near one of the subways and there was some litter in the bushes.
Halton Borough Council said residents can report missing trolleys to the relevant shops to collect, adding that taking trolleys and not returning them is theft and a matter for the police, but contacting the housing association is also an option.
Riverside housing association offered to report any trolleys it finds deserted to the relevant retailers, and advised that the free Trolleywise app may be able to help to arrange collection.
Cheshire police said its police community support officers (PCSOs) would notify the relevant shops while on their patrols.
According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), councils can remove trolleys subject to rules including placing a public notice in a local newspaper and making sure to formally adopt the power.
A Cheshire police spokeswoman said: “It would be for the local council and the trolley owners to recover them.
“The local PCSOs will make the various shops aware while they are out and about so the shops can arrange to collect them.”
Dean Butterworth, Riverside housing association’s regional director, said: “It is difficult to determine whether the shopping trolleys have been dumped on our land or not, as the subways and busway do not belong to Riverside so it depends on where they have been left.
“Shopping trolleys littering public land is a problem not just in
Runcorn but nationwide, and has been for a number of years.
“Fly-tipping is a blight for all the community, and in this instance it is an expense for Riverside and the council to clear up.
“Taking trolleys off a retailer’s premises is classed as theft, and any abandoned trolleys can be reported to a company called Trolleywise by downloading the app.
“The company will collect the trolley on behalf of major supermarkets in the area.
“In the meantime our housing team will also report any trolleys they find deserted. Residents can also contact us to report someone discarding a trolley or fly-tipping by calling 0345 111 0000, and we will consider taking action against that resident in partnership with the council and retailer.”