'Don't let it sneak up on you', says Bill Rodger, Trinity CC.

The Communal Bin Hub (CBH) project is rolling out in phases, skirting an earlier failed attempt to introduce it within the World Heritage site.

The core objectives of increasing effective recycling capacity and our overall recycling efficiency requires that each CBH carry twice as many bins. That means combining two sites into one larger site approximately 30ft long.

“Phase 1” covers the north east including Trinity. Phases 2 and 3 are underway and Phase 4 is under ‘consultation’ The following draws on Trinity’s experience. Despite having relatively few tenements and communal bins, the issues arising have prompted a significant response, have absorbed much Community Council and Elected Councillor time and have proved intractable.

Implementation started in December 2022 with bull bars installed in the roadway outside the new locations. Bins were combined inside the bars shortly thereafter. Deeply felt concerns were soon reported.

Complaints included:

• Lack of advance notice: Many residents claim that the sight of the bull bars was the first they know of the scheme.
• Consultation: Inadequate and, for some, non-existent. Benefits emphasised but with little acknowledgement of potential issues. Detailed maps were only available if a resident attended one of three in-person sessions.
• Noise: Especially acute where a bedroom faces the roadway with only a small garden. Sleep deprivation is an issue. Glass recycling is the worst especially with steel bins.
• Road safety: If a narrow street is also a thoroughfare, at peak times stressed drivers sometimes mount the opposite pavement to drive around a collection truck.
• Visual intrusion: Affects those residents facing a CBH, worsening their outlook and sometimes removing what had been an open view. Locations are determined objectively by algorithm but those directly impacted can feel arbitrarily unfairly affected, with particular concerns about their property’s market value.
• On-road parking compromised: A real issue if the residents are ageing and have mobility issues.
• Fly-tipping on the rise: The perception that a “communal bin”, now twice its previous size, is effectively a mini city dump is easily formed. Locations with a convenient stop, such as a disabled space, are especially prone.

Solutions might be found through practical conversations with CEC. However, Trinity residents have not found the project to be easily opened up to discussion and to solutions utilising local knowledge. The CEC process followed appears rigidly obstructive. A limited opportunity afforded in late 2022 to local Councillors to facilitate discussion, which did allow some progress to be made, was subsequently constrained by a report in 2023.

The main lesson to be learned by other CC areas ahead of CBH rollout is this: it's essential that those residents likely to be affected engage early with the consultation and look to understand properly their own situation. Urge them to do so and to take a close look. They should not take ‘general reassurances’ as being sufficient and all they need to know. Of course. it can be a challenge to engage those most affected ahead of problems emerging.

In this programme, CEC’s real objective shouldn’t be the principle behind the CBH project (which is commendable) but rather the search for practical solutions through proper engagement, so as to allow programme completion while minimising the impact on quality- of-life for those unfortunate individual residents staring out at their CBH.

END / BR