Council to spend £74k on replacing city centre bins

The scheme will cost £74,000

Thousands of pounds will be spent on replacing "filthy" bins in a city centre over the next three months.

Norwich City Council will commit £74,000 - funded by the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund - to replace 74 litter bins as part of an upgrade programme.

While the bins are emptied up to three times a day, seven days a week, the council found many to be in an "unsatisfactory" condition.

The bins, near Norwich's market and in the City Hall area, will be replaced with new, larger receptacles. It was hoped they would reduce smells and deter birds in an area where a lot of takeaway food was typically consumed.

Meanwhile, the bins in Prince of Wales Road will be designed to handle a lot of bottles and cans, as well as pizza boxes – which the council said caused "regular obstructions".

Hannah Hoechner, a Green councillor, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Sadly, most of the large metal litter bins in the city centre are noticeably filthy even though they are quite new.

"They are covered in stickers and stains and dirt and not a credit to us."

The replacement programme will result in different types of bins being installed in various locations depending on the type of rubbish they typically receive.

Emma Hampton, deputy leader of the Labour-run council, said the authority would also be introducing a programme to ensure the bins are cleaned on a regular basis.