Overflowing bins create rat-infested eyesore in Buxton

A Buxton couple have rubbished the council after it left their bins overflowing for three weeks, causing a rat infestation.  Deb Swinn hit out at High Peak Borough Council after it has failed to empty the bins at her block of flats at Bakewell Court, Fairfield, since the last collection on December 17.She said she had complained to the authority and housing trust “Johnnie” Johnson but they had yet to act.

The 52-year-old said: “My husband tried to clear it up but I don’t want him to get bitten by a rat or pricked by a used syringe. It’s beyond a joke. It’s not nice; we have to walk past it every day. It’s embarrassing when we have people round.”

A spokesman for High Peak Borough Council said: “We are aware of these issues with the recycling bins at Bakewell Court. The responsibility for clearing other waste at the site lies with the property managing agents and we have spoken to them to make arrangements for it to be removed. It seems that people are placing items in the bins which can’t be accepted for recycling, such as food waste and nappies, which can result in it not being collected. We’ll be working with residents to make sure they understand what can and can’t be placed in these bins.”

A spokesman from “Johnnie” Johnson Housing said: “We understand the frustrations residents must be feeling regarding this situation. The trust owns and lets ten of the circa 30 flats at Bakewell Court. We do not own the bin store. It is our understanding that Eddisions of Leeds have legal control of the enclosure and we are proactively looking to resolve the issue with them to improve the bin store facilities for all residents. As a gesture of goodwill on this occasion, we will arrange to remove the fly tipped rubbish around the bin area. This will be done by the end of this week.”