Bolton : More skip days need to clean street, Cllr Sue Haworth claims

This is according to a borough councillor who says that the local authority and landlords need to work together to tackle this.

Cllr Sue Haworth, of Harper Green ward, says that with people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis may be unable to pay for private waste removal, which could lead to further problems with littering and fly tipping.

She said: “People are heavily focussed on food and fuel and much else normally spent on will become go without.

“People are looking for do it yourself alternatives to paying charges and as such, paying for bulky waste collection, is at high risk of being shunned.”  

Cllr Haworth says that research from the Citizens Advice Bureau shows an increasing number of people across the borough who are classed as ‘just about managing.’

These are people who are regularly struggling with their income and so maybe likely to cut costs where matters like waste removal is concerned.

Cllr Haworth warned that if this is not addressed then the borough could see a marked increase in people resorting to flytipping.

The solution, she claims, would be for the council to offer more skip days which would create more extensive opportunities to tidy up areas around the borough than the regular ‘clean up days’ the authority offers.

Cllr Sue Haworth of the Harper Green ward (Image: Councillor)

She said: “I know all about clean up days and that we do not have anywhere near enough for the streets we live in.

“There are streets in the borough regularly full of flytipping and filthy litter where rats are seen on a regular basis.”

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Cllr Haworth said she had raised the issue with Town Hall bosses but said they did not address the underlying issue on how the cost of living crisis was worsening hygiene in the borough.

She added: “The answer to the question just did not address at all that no one wants to see wet dirty furniture and broken open plastic bags full of filthy rubbish increase on our streets.

“We know piled up waste smells and looks horrendous.

“Many people would welcome landlords and the council working together to put some skips out for use in the hard cost of living months ahead in Bolton.”