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Councillor Townsend asked: Approximately 18 percent of streets in Newport, have properties with no front gardens, resulting in recycling and refuse bins being permanently located on public pavements. In many instances pavements are narrow, less than two metres wide, creating physical obstacles especially for those with visual and physical impairment, as well as for prams and mobility scooters. Furthermore, the permanent location of bins in streets, many of which lack trees and other greenery, results in a very poor environment and the situation is not helped by windy and wet weather, such as we have had for the last few months. I am more than happy to meet up with the cabinet member to have a look at a number of streets where residents live on a day-to-day basis, with a very poor street environment which the council has created. Given the Welsh government’s Active Travel Guidance which states that pavements should be free of obstructions and statutory requirements relating to equalities, will the cabinet member have a look at how the recycling and refuse service can be amended for the 18 per cent of Newport streets? Will she also look at best practice elsewhere where recycling and refuse has less of a detrimental impact on pedestrians and result in a smarter and greener environment? Councillor Forsey responded: The system works well for the vast majority of residents and areas, although we acknowledge that having bins for waste does not suit everybody. Our current position is that the benefits of the use of bins outweigh the negatives, and they are a preferred option to sacks, which can be more unsightly and lead to issues such as increased litter, while still presenting issues to residents. We currently have no plans to move away from bins, but the council is always open to, and will actively search for, best practice in this space. The current configuration for recycling containers was agreed as part of 23/24 budget proposals and as such no additional changes are planned.
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