Gainsborough's abandoned trolley collection scheme raises £200,000

West Lindsey District Council is seeking to tackle the issue of abandoned trolleys

A scheme to charge supermarkets for abandoned shopping trolleys has made more than £200,000 in the past five years, a council said.

West Lindsey District Council launched the scheme in 2018, after a surge in trolleys being left in Gainsborough.

The council collects the trolleys, then invoices supermarkets for those unclaimed after six weeks.

Council leader Trevor Young called for a more rigorous approach as there are still "numerous trolleys around".

A public consultation is due to open on 23 June, to determine whether abandoned trolleys remain a concern in Gainsborough, whether the scheme should continue, and if the charging schedule is still appropriate.

'Current policy has not worked'

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the scheme has drawn criticism from council leader Mr Young, who questioned how effective it was.

Council documents due to be presented to the authority's regulatory committee next Thursday show the scheme has collected 2,759 trolleys and raised £205,530.

Mr Young said: "There are still numerous trolleys around on a daily basis and it proves that actually the current policy has just not worked.

"People continue to remove trolleys from the sites daily, abandoning them everywhere."

He suggested a more rigorous approach with supermarkets is necessary, expressing concern that the council may perceive the scheme more as an income source rather than a preventative measure.

He did however praise the council's street cleansing team for their "excellent job" in collecting the trolleys.