Wrexham Council ‘not likely’ to install more dog waste bins despite resident requests

Wrexham Council has said it is unlikely to install more dog waste bins in the area despite requests from residents.

The local authority’s executive board is due to consider a report on the council’s strategy for open spaces at a meeting on Tuesday.

A consultation on the strategy was recently held with members of the public in which requests for more dog waste bins featured prominently.

However, Cllr Hugh Jones, lead member for environment, said it was not an option the council was likely to pursue due to the high costs involved in treating dog poo separately to other types of waste.

He said: “The problem with dog waste bins is that we’ve gone down a different route to neighbouring authorities.

“Some authorities have got specific bins for it – you’ve only got to go across the border into Flintshire and they’re everywhere.

“The problem with that is that waste then has to be treated differently, and it’s really expensive.

“We can quite appropriately and within all the rules and regulations allow dog waste to be put into black bins and roadside bins. We’re not likely to change and develop more specific dog waste bins.”

He added: What we have done is we’ve worked with a number of community councils in order to try and increase the provision of roadside bins. In some cases.

“In some cases, community councils have put them in place that we’ve agreed to empty them and other places, we’ve been able to we’ve put in new bins from our own resources.”

The council said the new open space strategy was being developed in acknowledgement of the “key role” that open spaces play in people’s lives.

The document sets out the authority’s vision for how it will manage and protect open spaces.

Other suggestions from the consultation held in July and August of this year included for improved routes to be created to link open spaces together and for the council to change grass cutting practices to encourage re-wilding.

Residents also asked for steps to be taken to reduce litter in open spaces and for the authority to look at removing fees for parking at country parks.

Speaking generally about the strategy, Cllr Jones said: “We’ve got a significant amount of open space across the county borough.

“We also have responsibilities for things like public rights of way, which in many cases are in private ownership.

“We need to establish a policy that enables us to maximise the benefits that we can achieve from public open space.”

The report to executive board members, which asks them to support the strategy, states that the results of the consultation are broadly aligned with the council’s aims.

However, it adds that the authority will look at the suggestions raised and consider what work can be carried out to implement them.

(Top pic: The amazing dog bins of Flintshire)