Furious Gosport residents hit out at having to store smelly rubbish in their homes for a fortnight
Furious Gosport residents have hit out at having to store smelly rubbish in their homes for two weeks.
People living in North Cross Street have had their three 1,100‑litre communal bins in the nearby car park removed.
Starting this week, the residents of 11 flats will have to put their waste in sacks, which will be collected once every two weeks.
But residents say they have no external or communal space to put store rubbish.
In a letter to residents, Gosport Borough Council has said the changes are necessary to stop illegal fly-tipping and the depositing of trade waste at the North Cross Street bin site.
Resident Steve Tubbs, 68, has lived in North Cross Street for 14 years and said he has seen it all before.
He remembers when black sacks were used before and seagulls ripped them open.
He said: “I have no capacity to store rubbish. Storing general waste in the kitchen will get stinky, so I will be putting it out on the street when it smells.”
Residents have received two rolls of sacks from the council, black for general waste disposal and clear for recycling. The sacks need to be put out on the street by 7am on a Tuesday, every fortnight.
Marie McBride, 77, has a pet cat and a dog. She said: “It’s crazy to keep sacks in the house for 14 days – people are going to get ill.
“I go through one black sack each day, so I will have 14 sacks sitting there. I have lived here since 1974, and I have never had a problem before.”
Resident Paul Campbell, 51, is furious about the situation. Even after having a meeting at the council offices and offering solutions, he feels ignored.
He said: “I feel we’ve been let down by people who don’t care about our predicament. We have nowhere to put our rubbish.
“It is all haphazard. Someone has decided to get rid of our bins.”
Councillor Lesley Meenaghan (Con, Harbourside and Town) said: “It is disappointing that residents have had their communal bins removed due to ongoing fly-tipping.
“The council should focus on investigating the incidents and holding those responsible to account, rather than penalising residents who are doing the right thing.”
A council spokesperson said: “The council’s policy states that properties without suitable space on their own land to store wheeled bins should receive a sack collection service.
“Around 450 properties across the borough are already served in this way.
“Whilst the Environmental Protection Act requires the council to collect waste and recycling, it does not place any obligation on the council to provide storage for waste between collections. This responsibility lies with the homeowner or landlord.”
The council said the service will be reviewed in six months.