Family barricaded in by bins on collection days

Published on 15/10/2012 12:00

THEY must be the only family in Edinburgh happy when the bins are not collected.

For every time they hear the refuse lorry approaching, they know they will soon end up barricaded in by a wall of empty wheelie bins.

Courtney Pang-Lynch, 31, from North Bughtlin Gate, Drumbrae, said the problem had been going on for months, with her neighbours’ bins always left neatly lined up
 . . . straight across the family’s driveway. The mum of nine-month old, Hugo is regularly left to struggle through up to 12 wheelie bins just to get to her front door.

She said: “It’s ridiculous and I’m sick of complaining about it. I’m unable to park my car outside and take my baby in and out. Hugo’s in a heavy car seat so it’s hard to push past them. When he’s in his pram it’s hard for me to push past in and out of my house entrance.

“How hard is it to put the bins back where they found them? Am I meant to push all the bins back?

“My husband, Paul, brought it up with the bin men themselves again recently.

“There are only five houses on my street – the rest of the bins belong to the next street behind us. So conveniently the bin men take all the bins out and empty them but just leave them outside mine.”

The family do not seem to be the only ones suffering. Local councillor Karen Keil has been contacted by other fed-up householders.

She said: “I think it has something to do with bin men having general collection points but it’s not much to ask to have the bins returned to where they are found.

“I’ve also received calls from residents about parts of a street being left uncollected or waste being left on the road. There seems to be little pockets of the ward having trouble.

“I will investigate this matter further with council officers.”

A council spokesman said: “We ask crews to return empty bins in a way that does not obstruct access to residents. We will reinforce this message with our staff to ensure that this does not happen again.”

Empty bins causing a problem does at least make a change from the five weeks of difficulties caused by the council’s move to fortnightly collections. Last week the News revealed how disgruntled bin men were warned for adding to the on-going rubbish collection chaos by staging an unofficial “work-to-rule” protest.

A “small group” of workers have been accused of refusing to lift bin bags left beside wheely bins, leaving bins with slighly open lids unemptied and failing to report problems they find on their collection routes.