£36k to be spent on bins to tackle littering

Councillors approved plans to spend £36,000 on new bins in a bid to tackle litter in Sunderland.

It comes after Cllr Pat Smith earlier this month called on the public to take more responsibility for their own rubbish to keep Wearside clean.

And while she welcomed the prospect of places to dispose of waste, she predicted even more work would be needed to keep the worst areas clear.

“During the pandemic, councillors [have been] fending off queries from the public about all the rubbish that’s continually being left,” she said.

“I think that we are going into these areas to make areas better for people to travel, either walking or on bikes, but I have a feeling that we’re going to get the same carry on regarding rubbish.

“I think the cleansing has to be ready to do a lot more work, because at the present moment we are getting inundated with people who are not happy about rubbish lying around.”

Cllr Smith was speaking at a meeting of Sunderland City Council’s West Sunderland Area Committee.

It comes as the Echo runs its Clean Streets campaign, aimed at encouraging people to help keep the city clean and report those who spoil it for the rest of us with mess.

Spending plans approved by the panel allocated £36,529 to replacing bins and benches in the western area of the city, particularly in the area around Silksworth Ski Slope.

This included: 48 freestanding bins; 19 post-mounted bins; six benches.

The cash was one of the applications from the committee’s Neighbourhood Capital Fund given the green light.