Sunderland residents upset after being told to leave bins at end of "unadopted" road for collection

Households on Gertrude Road have been left “angry” and “frustrated” after receiving letters from Sunderland City Council asking residents to drag their bins to the southern end of the back lane for collection following a risk assessment.

Refuse collection teams had reported “increasing difficulty” with servicing bins down the back lane due to it being “unmade” and “severely rutted”.

The letter also stated that following consultations with the Highways section of the council, works to rectify problems would need to be privately funded due to the lane being “unadopted” as the authority has no responsibility to maintain it.

Resident Debbie Lewis Atwill says she has concerns with the new system.

She said: “We have lots of elderly residents on this street that will have to drag bins some distance to the end of the road, it’s not fair.

"The end of the street goes onto a main road, it could cause accidents – it’s ridiculous.”

A risk assessment carried out by the Council found “no alternative given the risk to the operative’s safety and well-being”. The change is set to come into effect from August 1.

Debbie added: “The lane can’t be fixed because there are disputes about who owns the land and now it’s the residents who have to suffer, something needs to be done.”

Deputy Leader of Sunderland City Council and Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Claire Rowntree said: “Unfortunately, this unadopted back lane has deteriorated so much that refuse collection teams and their vehicles cannot perform their duties safely.

"Collection teams had raised concerns about the lane and how it was becoming increasingly unsafe. Ward councillors have been consulted and the council has advised households that from the end of this month wheelie bins can no longer be collected from the back lane.

“Regrettably, the poor state of the lane with its deep ruts and pot holes also means that the council cannot offer an assisted service for wheelie bins. As a listening council, and as we have advised residents, we are open to further dialogue and discussions on how we resolve this issue.”