New Bin Stores in Salisbury

The sudden arrival of new bin stores in the city, positioned by Wiltshire Council without any need for planning permission, has been discussed by Civic Society committee members. They acknowledged the need for something to be done about the many bins prominent outside properties in the city centre, particularly Butcher Row, but felt that bin stores of the type now to be seen in two places in New Canal were not the answer. Even in their new state, they had a damaging impact on the conservation area, and on the setting of listed buildings. It was considered that the stores were likely to deteriorate over time, with the effects of weather, and the added chances of vandal damage, which could include painted graffiti and even the risk of their being set fire to. The Society is asking the council for assurance that this risk was fully taken into account before the bin stores were proceeded with.

The placing of the stores should ideally have seen a preliminary consultation process, in which other approaches to the problem of bins could have been raised. These include a suggestion put forward in 2014 when there was a problem with bins in the Market Place, for a lightweight and relatively inexpensive enclosure for them, fronted by lightweight metal. A design for this was produced at the time by James Salman, architect and Civic Society committee member. Reference could also have been made to York and Cambridge, where it seemed that daily collections of bins, or in some cases of sacks, led to very few bins being visible on the streets. A long-term solution for Salisbury should include more regular collections of commercial waste, ideally involving one operator rather than the three or four current ones, all with their own lorries increasing congestion and pollution in the city.