Dear Editor,

HARLOW Council’s tenants and leaseholders living in flat blocks will shortly have to consider “bin cages” being installed outside their blocks possibly on much needed communal areas. Are they really needed?

Will their introduction cause more rubbish to be dumped inside and outside of these bin cages? Will they stop fires? Will it increase the level of anti-social behaviour around them?

A number of questions, but what about some answers? That is for the council to do.

I was disturbed by the council’s decision to take part of our communal grass area behind my block to, according to the contractor, “lay concrete for bins” while proposing to remove the current bin sheds.

Unfortunately there was no consultation with the residents of the three flat blocks affected. Thankfully the council has now seen sense and stopped the development in my area.

In my view removing green spaces and replacing them with concrete is a crime in this town because they are an important and valued asset to residents. They do not need for them to be contaminated with these cages.

Hopefully the council will decide this whole policy is flawed, costly, ugly, and irrelevant to the needs of tenants and leaseholders. In short it should be stopped.

Moreover, the issue of installing bin cages all around the town is I am told by some residents an inappropriate use of land and makes these areas look like a rubbish dump with rubbish being blown everywhere and other local residents throwing their rubbish into it using the “aerial” route.

In conclusion and based on my experience I can confirm that:

1. No consultation with residents was conducted by the council on this matter in my area;

2. No advice was sought by the council or given by the Fire Service on the construction of a bin cage behind my block;

3. The construction of this bin cage behind my block is a waste of time and money given that it will not improve rubbish collection;

4. It will not improve the safety of residents in this area;

5. It will remove precious communal grassed land for the use of residents;

6. It will be an eyesore in this area.

Please stop the construction of these bin cages.

I am pleased that the proposed installation of a bin cage in my area was stopped, but what do other residents think about this issue?

Yours faithfully

Gary Roberts
Carters Mead