A VALE COUNCIL decision to remove 25% of bins from the streets of Penarth has been heavily criticised in a new report by the town’s civic society.
The Vale Council, however, has defended the policy, saying that it was responding to public concern about improving recycling.
In spring 2025, the council removed 44 of the town’s 173 litter bins, in what it claimed was a move to reduce duplication, manage the improper use of household waste dumping and to improve efficiency.
Penarth Civic Society, which strives to preserve the town’s heritage, criticised the move at the time, and then arranged for a consultation among its members and the wider community.
A total of 63 people responded and the society has used the feedback as the basis of a new report it has submitted to the Vale Council. It states: “St Mary’s Well Bay, double bin removed, no bins left in the area. The beach here is a common lunch stop for people with cars, litter has become a much worse problem.
“Gladstone Road in Barry only has one bin, now frequently overflowing, as is the Gladstone Park poop bin.
“Penarth Town Centre: litter bin provision in the town centre, seafront and parks is fine.
“Alberta Place on the railway path: for anyone coming down Westbourne Road, this was the last bin in Penarth, it is also on a very high-volume crossroad on the railway path. The general consensus was that as the railway path is one of the busiest pedestrian walkways in Penarth, particularly for dog-walkers, the provision of double bins would greatly improve the situation. You said that you have a stock of these in your removed stockpile, so if you could action this, then the town would be very grateful.
“Archer Road, near the junction with Plymouth Road. The lady who lives in the road opposite says that tradesmen frequently dump their rubbish there as it is a quiet road. Also, as there is a steep bank behind it and litter often falls out onto the bank, it is difficult to litter pick that bank because it is so steep. A preferred location would be a double bin on Plymouth Road, at the entrance to Tower Hill. A double bin was removed from here.
“St Augustine’s area saw four bins removed from around the church. Particularly missed are the corner of Church Place and Clive Place and the corner of Uppercliff Close and St. Augustine’s Crescent.
“Elfed Avenue bus stop has seen a dramatic increase in litter.
“Brockhill Rise, by the Spar, this area has also seen a dramatic rise because people buy takeaway food from the Spar and drop their packaging.
“Top of Grove Terrace, by the roundabout with Cornerswell Road is a frequent crossing point for pedestrians and this bin is mentioned by several respondents.
“Two respondents cited the Ash Path and St Cyres School as sites where additional bins would be beneficial, one suggested that the school entrance should have a combined recycling bin.”
The report goes on to say: “Other bins were suggested, but we do understand that you are trying to save money in your very challenging budgets.
“We also understand that if people did not fly tip household rubbish in the bins, then there would not be such a problem. However removing bins will not stop this, the offenders will just go to the next bin. We would suggest that enforcement action would be the best solution, this would involve inspecting fly tipped bags, which you may not have the resources for.
“With regards to schools, we feel that there should be a combined recycling bin at every school entrance, the earlier you catch them and persuade them that recycling is good, the better.”
The 44 litter bins that were removed are believed to be in storage at the council’s Alps Depot in Wenvoe.
The Vale Council is considering installing more multi-faceted recycling bins in the town, but with each bin costing around £1,000, budgetary restrictions are likely to prevent their widespread rollout.
Penarth Civic Society says it may launch a crowdfunding initiative to pay for more recycling bins, particularly around schools, and they suggest that plaques recognising the donations are put on the bins.
The society recently launched litter picking initiatives, and plans to create litter picking hubs throughout the town.
Traders are being asked to participate in a “Make Litter History” initiative, where they would conduct a short litter pick outside their premises as part of their daily opening routine.
Organisations that engage with the initiative will be given a window sticker advertising their involvement and commitment to the scheme.
The society’s report to the council states: “The idea of ‘making litter history’ is not something that can be achieved quickly; it will be a generational change, but we hope that we can make some headway by working with you and all other interested groups and people in Penarth.”
Council defends policy
Photo: Vale Council.
Cllr Mark Wilson, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “The introduction of the new separated recycling bins will make it easier than ever for visitors to our busiest locations to recycle their waste.
“When we hosted our climate conversation earlier this year one of the most common issues raised by young people was that they can recycle at home, at school, but often not in our parks or resorts. This tallied with feedback we received over the summer from residents about limited options in some public spaces and a general perception that more was needed to keep our town centres and other locations clean and tidy.
“We heard this loud and clear and reviewed our services to see what action could be taken in response.
“Removing some older bins alongside introducing new ones means we can improve options for recycling in the Vale while also making our services more efficient and cost effective – a vital consideration at a time when the financial pressures on the Council are immense.
“Our new bins are in the areas they are most needed. Litter bins are primarily for visitors to an area and therefore we are concentrating them in our town centres and resorts.
“We’ve been careful when identifying older bins for removal to make sure that all communities are still well served and able to responsibly dispose of their litter.
“We are also seeking to tackle the issue of fly-tipping in residential areas by removing bins that were being abused by a small minority. We believe that by doing so we will remove the temptation to dispose of waste in public places rather than sorting it responsibly at home like most residents.
“We very much value and appreciate the support of Keep Wales Tidy volunteers, who regularly give up their time to clean up litter, helping to improve the appearance of our County.
“The bags they fill will continued to be collected from near bins as they have been previously.”
By Marcus Stead – News Reporter
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