'Ghost bins' are leading to anger and 'musical bins' in one Devon town
It's claimed the rising number of empty bins - and lack of places to store trade bins - is impacting pavements in Teignmouth
There are calls for a solution to the rising number of so-called 'ghost bins' in one Devon town – where businesses have closed but bins remain on the street blocking pavements.
Teignmouth Councillor David Cox said: "If a shop has tables and chairs outside its premises, it gets charged for doing that but bins you can apparently put them anywhere.
“I have asked the county council if there's anything that can be done and they said no there isn't."
Councillor Cox added that in one case an eatery had closed down and traders were worried about the smell impacting their business.
He said: "They’re then moving their bins back to where the shop is that's causing the smell - and then they get moved again (by those nearby) and you get 'musical bins' where people move them around the town."
The councillor wants a permanent area created for shop bins to be stored when not in use - and suggests those wanting on-street bins could be charged to help stop pavements being blocked.
Daryl Norrish, who runs the Mini Heaven Bakery in Teignmouth, agrees with the calls saying: "It can downgrade an area really."
He added: "It should be kept clean and tidy and what happens is that people start to also fly-tip in an area as they think 'oh that's a bin' now."
The County Council's head of roads las week visited the town on a fact-finding trip and is now looking at what potential solutions or powers could be used to help combat the problem.