Old-style bins may disappear from York city centre (From York Press)

Old-style bins may disappear from York city centre

8:58am Saturday 5th May 2012 in News By Mark Stead , Political Reporter

THE number of old-style litter bins in the centre of York could be halved under plans to bring in bigger replacements.

City of York Council is considering the move following a review aimed at giving the city centre a facelift. It says many of the bins need removing or fixing and it wants to “standardise” their appearance.

Footstreets in the heart of York and the areas around them currently have more than 100 bins.

Under plans to go before a decision session for Coun Dafydd Williams, cabinet member for communities and neighbourhoods, later this month, this would be cut to 53 – but 13 new solar-powered “Big Belly” bins would be brought in.

The model, which can hold up to eight times more rubbish than standard bins, has already been tested out in King’s Square and the council said it only had to be emptied 14 times a week, while the six bins it replaced needed emptying 105 times a week during the peak tourist season.

Coun Williams said: “Reviewing the amount of bins and where they are located will ensure our streets look and feel de-cluttered and cleaner. With more than 7.1 million tourists visiting York every year, we need to ensure our bins can withstand demand, and the Big Belly bins hold more waste and are less time-consuming, far more efficient and much cleaner. During the trial in Kings Square, we saw no increase in litter levels.”