Eastbourne residents upset at state of ‘disgusting’ bins

The group in Bourneside Court in Seaside Road, sent photos and a letter to Eastbourne Borough Council to raise the issue.

In April this year Eastbourne changed to fortnightly collections, alternating between black refuse bins and green recycling bins.

The letter from residents said, “Up to that point, we have had a sufficient number of bins and a fair frequency of household collections. Everything had changed afterwards.”

The number of black refuse bins for the block of 20 flats is 15, according to residents.

Residents say the collection changes mean the bins are now overflowing and mess is being left behind because animals are breaking into bags that don’t fit in the bins.

The letter says, “I would like to remind you that mess created by them is not the residents’ fault or responsibility.

“Residents do their best to cram things into bins as efficiently as possible to avoid attracting any animals. Regardless of the effort, we are all paying the price in participating in the battle we cannot win.”

Residents say the smell from the bins is ‘disgusting’.

Although someone hired by the managing agent is paid to come and tidy up the area following collection day, residents said this is just an ‘illogical’ way of ‘cleaning up the council’s past mistakes’.

Residents finished the letter by saying they need a minimum of five more black bins. The group says they have never received any form of reply from the council regarding the issues.

In response to this, a spokesperson for Eastbourne Borough Council said, “We are delivering five new black bins to Bourneside Court so that each flat has its own. The managing agent requested the flats’ green bins to be removed due to an ongoing problem with residents using them to get rid of non-recyclable waste, and we carried out this request.

“However, we have suggested to the managing agent that green bins are reinstated and that we provide posters, leaflets and stickers to help remind residents what items can be correctly disposed of in each bin.”

A spokesperson for the managing agent said, “We are working with the council and are looking into this.”