Edinburgh residents call for hundreds of bin hubs to be moved following complaints

Edinburgh councillors are to consider moving more than 100 bin hubs across the city after residents made complaints.

Some 45,000 households are covered by bin hubs, of which 144 have submitted complaints through the council.

Under plans being put to councillors, a total of 152 hubs are set for relocation, removal, extension or other adjustment.

Of these, 133 would be physically moved, while the remaining 19 would be expanded or removed.

Decisions to change bin hubs are made in response to consultations, as well as changes in policy.

Bin hubs have been introduced across the city since 2021. Currently, the hubs cover much of the central area of the city, with the exception of the Old Town.

In areas covered by bin hubs, bins are usually located every 50 metres or less along a kerb, but this can be extended to 120 metres in some cases.

Bin hubs will not be placed within 10 metres of a junction, and in most cases bin hubs will be arranged so that residents will not have to cross the street to dispose of their rubbish.

Rules around the siting of bin hubs were relaxed in November 2024 after wide ranging complaints around their locations.

Residents had taken issue with the location of some bin hubs being located in front of their homes while locations across the road were not fronted by residential properties.

The main change that came from this was a relaxation of the rule that residents would not be required to cross the road to deposit rubbish.

Now, bin hubs can service properties on the opposite side of the street as long as the roadway is no more than 10.5 metres wide, the speed limit is 20mph or less, and the conditions on the road are otherwise safe.

Councillors will consider the changes at a meeting of the Transport and Environment Committee on Thursday, March 6.