An overflowing bin store which has attracted rats has led to calls for action to be taken against a housing company.
A councillor is calling for environmental services to take action against a housing company if it does not rectify its overflowing bin store.
Residents at Ladybridge Apartments have had to contend with a bin store that has often been spilling over for years.
The bin store had been deemed as dysfunctional by residents and councillors alike and is a potential health hazard – so much so that the council’s refuse collectors frequently decline to remove its contents.
One resident says it has been an issue since they moved into the block seven years ago.
They added: “We pay our rent, we pay out council tax, why aren’t they getting emptied? The last time the bin men emptied them was November.
“It’s been going on for donkey’s years.”
READ MORE: Resident claims bins 'not emptied for five weeks'
They are also concerned about the bins causing risks to their health, adding: “It’s absolutely disgusting. You can’t sit on the balcony because of the smell.
“There are rats bigger than cats. They’re massive.
“In summer - we’ve got a white fitted kitchen - you can’t see the white units because it was full of flies.”
The owner of Ladybridge Apartments, Onward Homes, has previously been threatened with a community protection notice (CPN) if they did not clear the area by the council’s environmental services department.
The purpose of the CPN is to deal ongoing problems or nuisances which negatively affect a community’s quality of life by targeting those responsible.
At the time, Onward responded by clearing up the mess, but the bin store seems to be back to its former hazardous state.
Onward say the rubbish has been dumped by residents who do not live in the apartments and have expressed their disappointment that this continues to happen.
Cllr Andy Morgan said: “I have asked that our environmental department contact Onward Homes again to sort this issue out as soon as possible.
“This really is not an acceptable state of affairs, not only for the residents of Ladybridge Apartments but also for the other residents that live near the bin store.
READ MORE: Piles of rubbish at block of flats brings flytipping and rats
“I have also asked that the department prepare to issue the CPN to Onward Homes if they do not come up with a permanent solution that is to the satisfaction of all concerned.”
Gordon Campbell, who will be running for election as an independent candidate in the area in May, is also calling for a CPN to be issued if a solution is not reached.
Cllr Morgan says he is also aware that people from the surrounding areas are also “dumping rubbish there”.
He added: “It’s like graffiti – when it appears, more graffiti appears – so people are seeing it becoming a dumping ground and literally pulling up outside this bin store and dumping stuff off.”
In response, an Onward Homes spokesperson said: “The issues faced at the Ladybridge Apartments are the result of residents living outside the scheme leaving commercial and domestic waste around the bin store.
"It is disappointing that this continues to happen despite efforts to resolve it.
“Over the past year, we have been working closely with our local partners to tackle fly-tipping here.
"We have remodelled the bin store and added a new roof, which resolved these issues for a period of time, and we have continued to clear the area regularly when incidents have occurred.
“We will be investing in surveillance, signage, and security of the bin store area to help to restrict access to Ladybridge residents only.
READ MORE: 'Bitter cold' saw more than 70 houses on one street miss Christmas bin collections
“Working in partnership with the local authority, we will also continue to pursue enforcement action against culprits where we have evidence, in order to prevent this from happening again.
“We appreciate that this is a distressing situation for residents and would like to reassure them that we remain committed to doing what we can to address the issue.
“We will continue to keep residents updated on progress and would urge anyone who witnesses any fly-tipping to report this to us immediately.”
If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at lewis.finney@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @lewisfinney18
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