Doggy DooDoo Disposal Points

Thursday, January 14th, 2016

Where are they going and why are they being taken away? Are they being replaced or are they being moved to other sites? If the latter is the case there is an imbalance.

Today I have seen several piles of dog poo that have been left on walkways and on grass verges, close too or not too far away from where red box disposal points had been or were located.

I’m sure there is a perfectly good explanation, so what is it?

Many thanks.
GHDOUG

ghdoug

Share post Posted Thursday, January 14th, 2016 at 5:36 pm under About Us.

6 Responses to “Doggy DooDoo Disposal Points”

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Clive
January 23, 2016 at 6:22 pm

Hi Folks,

I received more information on this issue.

In November the (City) council said:

"You will notice there is a significant increase in the number of dog & litter bins in Quedgeley Field Court. This is due to the number of public open spaces that have been adopted in Kingsway. There are more bins within Kingsway that are not on our records at present but we took the decision to only account for bins on our land. Rest assured we will also account for the other bins as & when more open spaces are adopted.

There are also a number of locations in Kingsway where there are dog bins & litter bins situated together. You may already be aware that our policy changed in 2013 where we introduced ‘dual-use’ bins which can be used for both dog waste & litter. My colleagues will be reviewing the area to assess the current bin provision and this could result in the reduction of the number of bins in the ward."

So as more Kingsway areas are adopted they will also be reviewed under this policy.

Shortly afterwards they added:

"Following the bin audit and a review of the provision within the ward, our plan is to remove 26 dog bins & two litter bins from Kingsway, convert the remaining litter bins for ‘dual-use’ purposes, and store the surplus bins at Eastern Avenue where they may be re-used elsewhere in the city.
All dog bins scheduled for removal are situated next to litter bins; the two litter bins are being removed because of their close proximity to other litter bins in their areas. I’ve attached maps & lists of the bins scheduled for removal.

City councillors representing the Quedgeley Field Court ward have also been notified of these proposals.

Please note that the bins we have on record are those located on the highway & public open spaces that have been adopted. We are aware of more bins within the estate but, as I explained in my last e-mail, we took the decision to only account for bins on our land and therefore the number of bins will be higher.

I take this opportunity to emphasis that we have removed a number of dog or litter bins from a number of locations across the city when the ‘dual-use’ policy was introduced in 2013. Please also be assured that we are treating every area in the city equally."

I amalgamated the “maps & lists of the bins” into one document which is available: HERE

I hope that helps 🙂

Regards,
Clive
ghdoug
January 22, 2016 at 12:19 pm

Richard,

Many thanks. We shall see what the warmer weather brings.

I will speak up if there is evidence to support my concerns later in the year. Until then or until there is a need to bring this up again, I will fade back into the shadows.

Regards,
GHDOUG
Richard Cook
January 19, 2016 at 6:46 pm

Hi GHDoug,
I agree with all of what you’ve said. This is clearly to save money and it may well become a health hazard as warmer months approach.
The issue was discussed at last night’s Parish Council meeting, but it was felt that there was little the Parish could do as it is the City’s responsibility to empty bins and to pay Amey to do it.
The Parish Council is expecting to have some or all of it’s funding from City for cleaning cut for the 2016/17 budget, so is in no position to pick up the slack.
I don’t know the bin emptying frequency - I think it’s weekly but don’t quote me.
What I would suggest to you is that if you see a full bin or something that needs attention, please contact the Parish Council who will relay the complaint to City. The Parish keeps a record of complaints and if there is an enormous increase it may cause people to rethink.

Finally, to look at things from the City's perspective - there is enormous pressure on them to do more with less. They get less funding from central government and nobody is going to vote for a council tax rise, so they have to try to find ways of saving money. I guess sometimes they make choices which people don't like.
Additionally responsibility from dog owners would help. Firstly pick up and bag the poo, tie the bag tight and carefully deposit into the bin or even take it home. Everyone can do their bit.
Regards Richard
ghdoug
January 18, 2016 at 12:41 pm

Clive, Richard,

Many thanks.
The bins taken are those that were alongside or just opposite an existing rubbish bin, these along with others have now been “stickered” to say they are dual purpose bins. Not all the red bins have been taken, so I have little doubt the council chaps will be back for more at some point in the future.
I am not a dog owner, but concerned that their needs are catered for in an appropriate manner. It seems a little strange that an “open/closed red bin”, used specifically for dog waste has been superseded by the current “open sided black bins” co-located with them. I believe it is wrong that both forms of waste can share the same bin at all, let alone in public/play areas. Yes I do know that the waste taken from them is disposed of at the same site, but the council ought to be concerned; this action is likely to have provided a perfect breeding ground for flies, associated smells and the potential for dog waste coming into contact with human hands. Only yesterday, I saw a bag of poo, that had been put in one of the dual purpose bins, the bag had caught on the inside, it had not gone into the receptacle but was resting on it’s lip. Not good and it does not bode well for the future, when the warmer months arrive these bins are likely to become a health hazard.
When the contractors put both types of bin in place they would have been following best/current practices. Now with the adoption of some areas on Kingsway, the council has seen fit to strip out what had been put in place from the outset. This was a penny pinching move and it just doesn’t fly, and how often are they going to empty all these bins?

Regards,
GHDOUG
Clive
January 15, 2016 at 4:27 pm

Thanks Richard.

I also saw this post on facebook (Spotted KQH) by (Cllr) Barry Kirby:

HI - I have had a number of concerned residents get in touch regarding Dog bins being removed from Kingsway - I have been in touch with City Council and this has been a deliberate move to reduce costs. The only dog bins that should have gone are those next to a normal rubbish bin, and those rubbish bins should have a sticker on them stating that they are dual use bins. If you believe that a dog bin has been removed that is not next to a normal bin, can you please let me know and I will chase it.
Cheers Barry Kirby, County Councillor for Grange and Kingsway

So if you have any such complaints you can post it here, or contact Richard via the KRA or the QPC, or you can contact Barry Kirby.
Richard Cook
January 14, 2016 at 7:02 pm

Hi GHDoug,

I have checked with the City Council and have been told that the singular use bins i.e. dog poo only bins, have been replaced by dual use bins. Are there other bins in the areas where the dog poo bins have been removed?
If so use them for litter and dog poo. If not please let me know.
Best regards