Wiltshire Council has issued a warning to town centre businesses and residents after “unsightly” rubbish was left strewn across the street.
Lord’s Lane in Chippenham was recently flagged by the town council as an area where commercial waste was being deposited incorrectly and residents were not using their bins correctly.
As a result, rubbish and bin bags have been left strewn over the road, turning the town’s heritage quarter into an “eyesore.”
In response to these complaints, the council has issued a warning letter to the commercial landowners, giving them two weeks to clear the waste and take preventative measures to avoid a repeat.
Residents in the area have also been provided with a new set of bins and have been educated about where to store these to keep the area clean.
The council is also working to resolve similar issues at The Shambles.
Communal bins are being trialled with waste contractors and residents to try and tackle the problem in that part of town.
Cllr Caroline Thomas, the cabinet member for transport and street scene, says the council will continue to monitor the situation moving forward.
She said: “Fly-tipping, overflowing bins and loose bin bags are not only an eyesore, but they are also a potential health hazard and can attract other issues such as graffiti and vandalism.
“In this case we have worked with both businesses and residents to provide both solutions to help them solve the issues, while also educating them to ensure that the issue doesn’t come back.
“We’ll continue to monitor these and other sites in the town, and we are currently looking at options for storing bins on Chapel Lane.”
Chippenham Town Council believes the problems have been ongoing for a long time, and that fixing them would improve the area.
Councillor Pete Cousins, leader of the town council, said: “I am pleased to see the appropriate officers from Wiltshire Council and the town council working in partnership to resolve these long-standing issues to improve the town.”
Cllr Thomas added that the intervention was an example of the two councils working together to resolve complaints.
She said: “This is a great example of Wiltshire Council and Chippenham Town Council working in partnership to resolve waste issues in the town.
“We’ll continue to work with Chippenham Town Council to resolve any issues as they arise.”
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