Glasgow residents oppose bin hub plans over fears they will attract rats

Hundreds of Glasgow residents are fighting plans to install “unhygienic” bin hubs outside their gardens due to fears they will attract rats.

A total of 225 Cessnock residents have signed a petition asking the council to rethink the installation of the bins, which are expected this week in the Paisley Road West area.

They believe 56 car spaces will be lost within a half mile radius due to the infrastructure, which will exacerbate difficulties in finding parking.

The bin hub containers on streets are being introduced across the city with the council hoping they will increase recycling and improve working conditions for refuse workers among other benefits.

Sana Hussain is one of 225 residents to sign a petition against the bin hubs. LDRS

Student nurse Sana Hussain expressed concerned about overflowing rubbish from the new bins littering the road right in front of her garden.

The 23-year-old said: “What if all the rubbish doesn’t fit in. It could be very unhygienic.

“There is a bin hub right in front of our gates. If I’m having a barbecue in the garden I would have to smell that.

“What about fly tipping being dumped beside them? It is going to be chaos.”

One resident on the same street said a potential compromise would be the bin hub being placed in the lane where their existing bins already are.

She is worried about rats moving from the lane through her home to get to the street where the new bin hub will be.

She said: “Residents know the area and how it works. The council have not even asked us. This neighbourhood has the potential to be a really beautiful area. But the bin hubs could add to the existing problems.”

A letter expressing concerns on behalf of residents said: “Centralised bin hubs can lead to increased littering and fly tipping, issues that are already significant in our area.

“The problem is exacerbated when bins overflow or are improperly used, often due to commercial waste.”

The letter said: “The new hubs, being higher and requiring bags to be thrown upward, pose additional challenges, particularly for elderly and less able-bodied individuals.”

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “We are hopeful the introduction of on-street bin hubs in Cessnock will lead to improvements in waste management in the area.

“Residents already involved in the on-street bin hub pilot in other communities have responded well to the new arrangements, which include extended recycling options, more frequent bin collections and safer work for staff.

“Recycling rates have improved significantly throughout the three existing pilot areas and more frequent collections helps us respond quickly to any issues as they emerge, such as fly-tipping.

“The increase in collection frequency and the design of the bin hubs has meant we have not been required to address any infestation issues around the bin hubs that have already been installed.

“The poor condition of Clifford Lane in places creates a health and safety risk to our staff and it’s an unsuitable location for the bin hubs. Access to lanes can often be blocked by parked cars or fly-tipping, which prevents bin collections from going ahead.

“Placing bin hubs in the street helps to minimise missed collections but also reduce disruption to households on collection days and allow back courts to be used for alternative purposes.

“We did engage with the Cessnock community ahead of the installation of on-street bin hubs and all residents have been sent detailed information on the scheme.”