Worthing and Adur residents’ fury as overflowing bins ‘turning the streets into a dump’

In September, Adur and Worthing councils switched from weekly to fortnightly waste collections in what it said was an attempt to encourage more recycling.

But residents including Lancing father-of-four Simon Cassidy have claimed their bins are overflowing regardless of how eco-friendly they have been.

“They don’t seem to have any common sense,” said the 43-year-old, whose recycling was found to be excellent in a council audit.

“They have got guidelines, but it doesn’t work for everybody. It doesn’t work for my family. I’m banging my head against a brick wall, but there’s no give.”

Forced to use his neighbour’s bin in Orchard Avenue, Simon said he had been refused an extra bin, told the council would not remove one he provided and advised to take excess bags to the tip himself.

With council tax at the same rate, he questioned why an extra bin could not be provided.

Simon’s concerns were shared by 46-year-old Jamie Shoebridge from Richmond Road in Worthing. He said he lives in a flat, but overflowing shared bins were ‘turning the streets into a dump’.

Businesses have also been affected. Kris Binns works for Kardinal Independent Living in Broadwater Street West and said smelly, overflowing bins from neighbouring flats were putting off customers.

The 22-year-old said he and his boss had to tidy up scattered waste from the car park with their bare hands.

A council spokesman claimed responses from the 81,000 homes affected had been largely positive and the recycling rate was rising toward the 50 per cent target.

According to the spokesman, 550 tonnes less waste had been produced since April compared with the same period last year – the equivalent of 84 full bin lorries.