Bin stores, whether for traditional metal bins or larger plastic wheelie bins, are prominent structures and can be unsightly and affect the quality of residential amenity. If not maintained scrupulously, they can become dirty from rubbish overspill, resulting in smells in hot weather and the attraction of flies and vermin. In certain parts of the City they can become a focus for littering and illegal dumping, vandalism and fire raising. Even well maintained bin stores can detract from residential and visual amenity and care should be taken to locate them away from the front of properties.

This policy sets out the standards the Council will apply to the provision of bin storage in residential developments. It also covers the situation where householders are wishing to build new bin stores for their existing properties and the few occasions when commercial properties wish to erect an external bin store.

Care should be taken to ensure that satisfactory access to bin stores is available to Cleansing Staff.

1. EXISTING PROPERTIES AND REFURBISHMENTS 

Although some properties are served by internal refuse chutes or bin stores, most existing houses or flats have external refuse storage to the rear. To protect residential as well as visual amenity, planning permission will not be granted for a bin store in the front garden of an existing property or in front of any building line facing on to a road.

2. NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS 

(a) Carry Distances

To comply with the Building Regulations, communal bin stores should be no more than 30 metres from the door of the house or individual flat. This distance includes the length of any landings, corridors or footpaths but does not include any staircases. If large wheeled containers are being used for domestic refuse, these should be sited no more than 15 metres from the point where the bin lorry will park while conventional communal bin stores can be located up to 45 metres away from the bin lorry.

(b) Location of Bin Stores

To maintain the residential amenity of a new development, all bin storage should be behind any building line fronting on to a road, and preferably in the rear garden area. Collection should ideally be from the rear of the property, via a rear lane or footpath, which is the traditional pattern in the City.

In all flatted developments bins should be collected and returned to the bin store after emptying by the refuse collectors. No proposal will be permitted where large numbers of bins will have to be placed at the kerbside by the residents, as this will inevitably result in obstruction of the pavement.

(i) Flats - Free Standing Development

Free-standing blocks of flats should have bin storage either in an external bin store to the rear or in an internal bin store on the ground floor or basement of the building.

(ii) Flats - Infill Development

Infill developments should have bin storage in the rear court or in an internal store. If rear lane access is not possible, a pend large enough to allow bin lorry access could be provided on the front elevation. This may not always be acceptable, however, because of townscape considerations.

Refuse collection through the common close will only be accepted in particular circumstances, such as where the development is very small or the creation of a pend would be uneconomic, not practical or unacceptable in urban design terms.

(iii) Houses

All houses, whether detached, semi-detached or terraced, should have hard-surfaced bin stances provided in the back garden. If refuse collection is provided at the front, access around the side of detached and semi-detached houses should be maintained at all times to allow the bin to be wheeled around the side of the house to the kerb.

In terraced housing, access for refuse collection should be provided to the rear. This could be by means of a path around the end of the terrace and along the rear gardens or a common pedestrian pend through the terrace. This pend could be under the control of the 2 adjoining occupiers, who would hold the keys for the required door or gate and would use the pend to wheel their bins to the collection point at the kerbside.

A similar arrangement could apply where 4-in-a-block flats are built in a terraced format and have no rear lane access.

(c) Design of Bin Stores

Internal bin stores should be on the ground floor or basement of flatted blocks and should have two doors; one providing internal access to the residents and one to the outside for the refuse collectors.

New bin stores for Victorian properties should be constructed at the bottom of the backcourt or rear garden and should be finished in materials to match the walls of the backcourt. Most commonly these will be in common or red brick. If the backcourts are bounded by railings rather than walls, then the bin stores should be finished to match the rear wall of the property i.e. a good quality tinted concrete block or harling. If roofed, then felt or tiles should be used.

External bin stores for modern and post-war housing should be constructed in materials to match the main property with a roof and door or gate. Artificial lighting should be provided for larger bin stores.