Kennet and Avon Boating Community Website

Following a complaint and a 148-signature petition about the removal of rubbish bins on the K&A, waterway manager Mark Stephens has asked for feedback on the schedule for the contractors Biffa who empty all the bins on the K&A. The schedule includes bin sites, number of collections and number of bins.  Please look at the schedule and make comments, for example if you think more frequent collections or more bins are needed or if you know of any issues with fly tipping. You can send comments to info@boatingcommunity.org.uk or direct to Mark Stephens (contact details below). You can download the full schedule here Biffa Schedule – K&A or view an extract with the key items at the end of this article.

In response to the complaint, Mr Stephens has said that he raised issues relating to the general provision of facilities at the last Waterway Managers’ meeting.  He asked for clarity about what level of provision is considered acceptable and said that previously he had only been aware of an undertaking to provide rubbish disposal facilities at intervals of no more than 4 hours of cruising.

He also informed boaters that CRT’s Navigation Advisory Group (NAG) has been investigating the provision of boater facilities such as water points, bin stores and sanitary stations more generally and that NAG’s initial investigation has concentrated on the K&A; he will follow up any recommendations.

Mark Stephens added “I have been reviewing current provision of bins stores, including existing capacity and the number of times that these bins are emptied.  I would greatly value any specific comments that you have with respect to existing provision”. He continued “I am reviewing the management of our compounds in general.  Very few of them have any locks or measures to deter unauthorised use. Others, like the compound at Darlington, appear to be unsuitable for the size and number of bins required at a given location”. Following this and other complaints, the collections at Seend have now been increased to twice a week, which is a very welcome move.

A spokesperson for the 148 people who signed the petition said that she welcomed the commitment to review refuse collection but that there were more questions that needed answering. Firstly, that she understood that the provision of facilities would be reviewed according to demand, not according to an undertaking to provide them at intervals of 4 hours’ cruising and secondly, that there are still problems of fly tipping by local residents, for instance at All Cannings and Bathampton.

To contact Mark Stephens, email mark.stephens@canalrivertrust.org.uk

and copy to enquiries.kennetavon@canalrivertrust.org.uk

or phone the main CRT number 0303 040 4040 and ask to be put through to the K&A office in Devizes

or write to Mark Stephens, Canal & RiverTrust, The Locks, Bath Rd, Devizes SN10 1QR.

Here is an extract from the bin schedule:

Tags: Biffa, complaints, facilities, liveaboards, Mark Stephens, refuse facilities

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