Removal of public bin from Athlone street criticised

A resident of St Francis Terrace in Athlone has criticised the recent removal by the council of a public litter bin from the area, saying it was now resulting in litter from passersby ending up in residents' gardens.

Paddy Mannion told the Westmeath Independent that the bin at St Francis Terrace had been in place for "30 years or more," and that he and other local residents were very unhappy about its removal by the local authority around three weeks ago.

When we contacted the council about the issue this week, we were told the bin had been taken out because it was "being filled on a regular basis with household waste" and that some household waste was being deposited beside the bin, causing nuisance.

The council added that the bin was "being emptied two to three times a week", which was costly, and that it was "not functioning as intended, as a receptacle for street waste".

"Street bins in housing estates are rare, and generally avoided, as the issues that arose (in St Francis Terrace) are not uncommon, unfortunately," it said.

The council stated that it currently had no plans to replace the bin that was removed, but that the matter "can be kept under review".

Mr Mannion contacted this newspaper about the issue, as he said the terrace was busy with people passing through, who now had no place to put their rubbish.

"We're very concerned because it's only going to lead to more littering on the street," he said. "The council are talking about solving one problem, but they're creating another one".

He also pointed out that people walking their dogs in St Francis Terrace now would have no place to dispose of dog waste left by their pet.