Latest news with #AlanPurkiss
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Plan to tackle bins 'blighting' Tewkesbury to be explored
Plans to tackle the issue of wheelie bins "blighting" a historic town centre are set to be Borough Council's scrutiny committee will investigate how the council can curb the presence of unsightly bins on the streets after more than 230 people signed a petition calling for Purkiss, chairman of Tewkesbury Civic Society, presented the "bin blight" document at a council meeting where he said they degrade Tewkesbury town centre, devalue properties, block wheelchairs and prams, and put off agreed to set up a working group to address the issue in the town and across the wider borough, with concerns raised about a similar situation in Winchcombe. The civic society petition urged the council to only provide wheelie bins to those with access to appropriate storage within the town's conservation area. It suggested using blue bags or community storage for those who do not have space for a bin and asked the authority to consider fining those who leave their bins out on the streets, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service."Tewkesbury's unique conservation area is being severely degraded by domestic and increasingly by commercial bins," Mr Purkiss said at the meeting on Tuesday."People do and will flee such an environment. Rights of way of prams and wheelchairs are often compromised." Independent councillor Mike Sztymiak said: "Bins are a nuisance."We spent a million pounds plus on the centre of town and then we go and spoil it by putting bins in front of all these shop windows. It does detract from the area."Councillors agreed for the issue to be looked at by the overview and scrutiny committee over the next four months, with any proposals to be brought back for approval by full council.
BBC News
24-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Tewkesbury wheelie bins 'a blight' on historic town centre
A petition has been started to pressure a council to issue fines and control the number of bins left on the street of an historic Civic Society has said the bins are spoiling a conservation area, and suggested homes should only be allowed wheelie bins if they can store them also wants the council to provide screened areas for bins when storage is not possible. Chair Alan Purkiss said the society wanted to protect the town's conservation area, adding: "We've got a lovely heritage of listed buildings, alleys and the riverside and it's been degraded somewhat by domestic and commercial bins." Mr Purkiss said it is becoming a real problem, with bins "prolific" on some of the smaller streets in Tewkesbury."There's lots of people living in town these days and it's not nice for them, it's certainly not nice for visitors. Would you want to take a photo of a nice building and have a bin in front of it?" he said."We would like to see the authority actually make fines a possibility, as once fines exist, people's habits change.""For people with a genuine need for putting a bin somewhere, it can be handled with the blue bag policy or some kind of community facility - there are ways you can handle it. There needs to be a deterrent." Resident Debbie Whitfield, 61, said she agreed the bins look unsightly, but said issuing fines was too strong a measure."I think they should be moved, the town needs to look pretty again," she said. "I don't think it should go that far [issuing fines], but they should be warned by the council if they're not removed." Another resident Trevor Bunt, 63, said he was concerned about where the bins would be stored."It's a good idea, but Tewkesbury is a small place and they don't have enough places for bins any more," he said."In theory, yes, it would be nice if they were out the way, but they need a solution first."The petition has been signed by nearly 240 people, and will be discussed by Tewkesbury Borough Council on Tuesday 23 officers said enforcing the issues within the petition is "a heavy-handed approach" and would take "additional resource to do so".They have recommended the council supports the petition organiser in his efforts to take a community led approach to the Murray Stewart, Lead Member for Environmental Services said: "We are fully committed to working with our communities and stakeholders to find a mutually agreeable solution for all and for the council's need to manage waste and recycling."
