Over 40 controversial bin compounds installed in Ashington despite parking issues from blocked driveways

The council claims they will help keep the streets clean but local residents are divided over the resulting parking issues in the town’s back lanes, as some residents now cannot access their driveways.

Andrew Hill, who lives on Hawthorn Road, has had a compound installed in front of his driveway making it difficult to access, particularly when others who have also had their driveways blocked park nearby on the street.

He said: “It is already causing a problem. Having to get a friend to pick me up and take me to work on two days because somebody put a bin there is ridiculous.

“I have voiced that opinion over a period of many months and years, and no one ever comes back to you or listens to you.

“All it would have done was for them to have moved it literally three metres left or right of my property, which I told them, and it would have solved the problem.”

Despite having to contend with the parking issues, Hawthorn Road residents cannot use the bins, which are instead for the neighbouring streets that share the back lanes.

These properties previously stored bags of rubbish on the street, but Andrew believes there is a better solution.

He said: “I agree there has to be something in place. I cannot deny that it will serve a purpose and probably solve a problem, but they need to put it somewhere sensible.”

He added that “there are people already fly tipping” within the compounds.

Ian Lavery, MP for Wansbeck, said he “fully supports” residents that are concerned about the compounds and claimed the situation would not have occurred in other areas of Northumberland.

He said: ”Whilst the previous refuse solution was wholly inadequate, the compounds are the wrong solution and potentially cause as many issues as they solve.

“This is another symbol of the disdain some at County Hall hold for the people of Ashington and the Hirst more specifically.

“It is time the people living in this part of town were afforded the same care, attention and finance as would be given to those in the leafier parts of our county, should they suffer similar issues.”

A post on the council’s Facebook page about the bins attracted comments from people concerned the compounds would end up overfilled and attract antisocial behaviour.

However some commenters were also supportive of the compounds, and the council’s cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Colin Horncastle, said they would improve waste storage on the streets.

Cllr Horncastle said: “We know the difficulties some residents have had on these streets in storing bins and rubbish due to the lack of back yards.

“The compounds provide greater opportunities for recycling, improve the overall cleanliness of the area, stop animals and birds from getting into rubbish sacks, and also make it even more unacceptable to fly tip."

Cllr Ken Parry, who represents Hirst ward, added: “It is important for the quality of life in the area that it is kept clean and tidy, and these bins are a good solution for local residents to use to store rubbish in one place.”