Bin fines are 'heavy handed', say retailers

Farah Ozlati at Saint Gyles Jewellers in St Giles Street said businesses were not to blame for rubbish in the streets

New fines for leaving bins out at the wrong time are "heavy handed", according to town centre businesses.

The policy for Northampton was agreed by West Northamptonshire Council's cabinet on Tuesday night.

Retailers who flout the rules could be fined up to £1,000.

The council said the policy was needed to create "a cleaner and more welcoming environment".

Saint Gyles Jewellers is one of the many small independent businesses in St Giles Street

The new "environmental policy" will involve retailers getting two slots during the day during bins can be left out for collection - between 06:00 and 09:00 and between 16:00 and 18:00.

Any business that leaves a bin in the street outside those slots could be given a fixed penalty of £100 or be fined up to £1,000 in court.

The council said it had talked to 300 firms about the policy and more than a hundred had responded to an online survey.

But not every business supports the scheme.

Farah Ozlati at Saint Gyles Jewellers in St Giles Street said: "I think it's missing the point of the problem in town.

"Yes, rubbish is an issue, but I don't think businesses are at fault here, it's a much bigger problem."

Ian Jepson from Michael Graham Estate Agent said the rules were "a bit heavy handed"

Ian Jepson, from Michael Graham Estate Agents in the Market Square, said the new rules were "a bit heavy-handed".

"We want it clean and tidy but we can't be here at six o'clock in the morning putting rubbish out," he said.

"It's not feasible."

Michael Graham Estate Agents is in Northampton Market Square. The area is undergoing an £8m refit

At the Marmaris restaurant in St Giles Street, waste is taken to a large bin outside the building.

Under the new rules, that bin will have to move.

The owner, Erkan Kaygusuz, said: "It's going to be hard for everyone, really.

"When [the bin] gets full, we just empty it and bring it back, so we'll be backwards and forwards constantly and that's going to be hard work."

The owner of the Marmaris restaurant said the new rules would mean extra hard work

West Northamptonshire Council said: "The new policy reflects our commitment to creating a cleaner and more welcoming environment for those living and working in, or visiting Northampton town centre.

"Ranks of bins on the street are a blight on the street scene. They are also a magnet for fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour."

It added: "The policy has undergone extensive consultation with stakeholders."

Enforcement of the policy will begin in September.