EFFORTS are being made to address ongoing problems with trade waste on Teignmouth’s streets.

Complaints have been made for months over constant fly-tipping and increasing numbers of business waste bins being stored on town centre pavements.

Now Teignbridge Council’s waste and cleansing inspectors have identified a number of trade bins which appear not to be in use.

Officers believe there are potentially 10 trade bins that may not be currently used.

They will be contacting the various bin providers with the locations and requiring their removal.

It is hoped over the next few weeks, there should be a reduction in the number of large bins as well as several being relocated.

County, district and town councillor David Cox, who has been appealing for a solution, said this was a ‘good first move but we will need a sustainable long term solution’.

The issue has been raised several times to stop dumping of waste and increasing numbers of business waste bins stored permanently on the streets.

Recently a mattress was found dumped beside a commercial waste bin and there were further suggestions to charge private waste collection companies to store bins on pavements and roads.

Cllr Cox has had numerous complaints about trade bins obstructing pavements and the fly tipping it attracts.

Town centre managers have been considering whether cardboard could be taken to Bitton House for disposal.

An estimated 75 per cent of the rubbish is cardboard.

If the town council brings in a bailer, it could be used to help dispose of the cardboard as the council already has a waste transfer licence.

Cllr Cox explained that although local shops and pubs have to pay for a pavement licence to put tables and chairs on the pavement, there is no charge for trade bins permanently stored on the highway.

He explained it is illegal to store waste in a container or directly on the surface of the public highway without the consent of Devon County Council as the highway authority.

Commercial waste collection companies can apply to the county council for consent to store a waste container on the highway.

However, Cllr Cox explained that currently the county council has no formal process to accept or consider the suitability of such a proposal.

He added: ‘We can’t ignore the problem as the number of trade bins is increasing, we can’t take a zero-tolerance approach as most local businesses will not be able to comply.

‘A permit system will enable some sort of control, along with bin stores in areas around the town.’

Increasingly, the number of large, industrial-sized refuse containers have been causing obstructions.

As well as creating an eyesore and attracting fly tipping and littering, the bins are also obstructing the pavements and creating hazards.

Also there is a risk to people using mobility scooters of falling over or falling off the pavement by having to negotiate to get past the bins.