Major change to bin rules as garbage takes over streets – but neighbours will be divided
A MAJOR change to bin rules could be on the way due to garbage filling the streets.
Planning laws are set to be relaxed to allow homeowners to build bin sheds in their front gardens to stop nice areas from being spoilt.
A consultation released yesterday by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said that current rules can lead to “bin blight”.
The government is considering new plans to allow homeowners in conservation areas and national parks to build storage in their gardens for wheelie bins without needing planning permission.
This is to avoid streets becoming cluttered and litter being strewn across pavements.
Under current laws, households aren’t allowed to build bin or bike storage in their front gardens without permission from the council.
These still apply to areas of outstanding natural beauty, conservation areas, and world heritage sites.
In areas with housing that don’t have front or rear gardens, the rules are leading to increasingly garbage-filled streets due to bins left outside front doors.
The consultation document says: “We understand that houses that only have front gardens (and no rear garden) or those that have limited external access to their rear gardens are unable to install bin or bike stores in their front gardens under the permitted development right.
“This can lead to ‘bin blight’ with wheelie bins dominating front gardens and impacting on the local amenity of residential streets.”
It’s important to note that this is just a consultation at this stage and nothing is set in stone yet.
The proposals are likely to divide residents who are concerned about bin storage structures being built in their streets.
It comes after a huge change to bin collections across England was announced in October last year.
Recycling in England is to be standardised from 2026, with all homes, businesses and schools recycling the same materials, the Government has said.
There will also be a once-a-week minimum requirement for the collection of food waste, which the Government said would reduce the amount going to landfill.
It is also proposed that residual, meaning non-hazardous industrial, waste should be collected every fortnight.
The month before, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak scrapped plans for households to use seven rubbish and recycling bins in an overhaul of green policies.
Councils had warned that requiring residents to have “several bins” would further litter the streets.
Over the past few years, residents across the country have been complaining of streets becoming littered with wheelie bins as cities struggle with demand and bin collection strikes.
Back in September, disgusted business owners on some of London’s most iconic streets declared that they are covered in 6ft towers of rubbish and huge rats are running wild.
These included areas like Brick Lane and Bethnal Green Road, both in the borough of Tower Hamlets, which were covered in heaps of rotting garbage.
The mountains of rubbish built up after waste collection workers in East London went on strike over pay.
In 2022, Public Health Scotland said local authorities should carry out cleansing where bins have been left overflowing due to a walkout.
Meanwhile, you’ve been doing your bins wrong – we reveal the most common items that can’t be put in your recycling.
Plus, here are four stores that’ll give you rewards for recycling used-up products.
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