Residents in new-build flats in Bury have slammed the 'horrendous' smell coming from their bins after they went three weeks without being emptied. The issue has attracted rats and flies, leaving tenants unable to open windows.
Three-week wait for bin collection
Residents first began moving into the Green Street development in Radcliffe in May this year. The development, managed by Great Places Housing Group, comprises 132 apartments with a mixture of private rental, rent-to-buy and social housing tenants, across Olive Court and Ash Court.
One resident, Ben, who did not wish to give his last name, said there have been problems with the bins since he moved into Ash Court in June. "They were stored inside where there was no ventilation, and they were only collected once a week," he told the M.E.N. "When I opened that door, the smell knocked me physically sick. We've had an issue with flies as well."
Rats and overflowing bins
They were then moved outside, where Ben says the problems have persisted, with rubbish piling up around them. "They haven't been emptied for three weeks," he claimed. "My flat is nearby them and every time I open my windows the cast of A Bug's Life comes in. We've had to buy Raid and fly paper. There's rubbish on the floor. Now we've been told they can't be emptied as they're overflowing, the lids don't shut and it's attracting rats."
Ben described the scale of the problem: "There is one wheelie bin for food waste for 45 flats and eight other bins for 100 flats. I can't have my windows open as the smell is horrific." He added that the issue had been reported to property management firm PlumLife since May, but "all we get is 'we are in conversation with Biffa'. Stop having conversations, come and empty our bins."
Stigma and service fees
Ben said the issue was adding to a certain 'stigma' surrounding the development. "I pay £810 for rent-to-buy and a parking space but the place has a bad stigma around it now. I'm stuck here for the next 12 months and I'm really regretting that decision."
Another resident told the M.E.N: "Here are the bins in which young families pay £25 each per week to Great Places for service fees. There are rats and such like amongst the rubbish."
Housing group response
In a statement, Great Places Housing Group, of which PlumLife is a part, acknowledged that the situation was 'far from ideal' but said the bins had now been cleared. Caroline Millington, Director of Customers and Communities at Great Places Housing Group, said: "We're aware of the waste management issues at Green Street and understand the concerns this has caused for our customers and the wider community. We acknowledge this is far from ideal and we are doing everything we can to put it right. As at 6pm on Monday 28 September, the waste at Green Street has been fully cleared from the car park and all bin stores."
Millington added that since customers moved in over the summer, the volume of waste generated has been higher than anticipated, and the group has experienced challenges with waste collection arrangements. "We're also reviewing our waste management arrangements to ensure we have a service in place that meets the needs of the neighbourhood as it continues to grow," she said, noting that additional clearances, bait traps, and conversion of underused storage into additional bin storage are part of the response.
