Leeds householders fined £14k for leaving bins out

A file image showing the problem in Hyde Park, Leeds

Householders in parts of Leeds who leave their bins out have been fined a total of almost £15,000 so far this year as part of a council crackdown.

Leeds City Council obtained a public space protection order (PSPO) covering Headingley and Hyde Park in 2020.

The order, which was renewed earlier this year, followed concerns about litter and bins obstructing pavements.

So far this year, 35 residents have been fined a total of £14,261.56 by magistrates, according to the council.

Officials said "a large number" of bins were being left out in the areas, which are home to thousands of students, encouraging vermin and fly-tipping.

The PSPO states residents must only present their domestic waste bin from 16:00 on the day before scheduled collection, and they must be returned inside the property boundary by 21:00 on the day of collection.

The order is not the first time that leaving out bins has landed people with fines. A similar scheme was adopted in a part of Rotherham in 2022 to try and curb anti-social behaviour and littering.

In 2019, Gwynedd Council in Wales adopted a similar policy, with a particular focus on the student areas of Bangor.

Leeds City Council insisted its enforcement officers applied "common sense and proportionality".

'Positive changes'

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, the council's environment lead, said Headingley and Hyde Park had, historically, experienced problems around "fly-tipping, waste in gardens and domestic waste issues".

He added: "Residents have been clear to us that they are fed up with this anti-social behaviour that blights their neighbourhood.

"Thankfully, due to the proactive work of environmental enforcement officers and the positive impact of the local PSPO, we are seeing positive changes on the streets of Headingley and Hyde Park which are now a lot cleaner and there has also been a reduction in fly-tipping."