We’ve brought forward our spring and summer seafront waste collection services after thousands of people flocked to the beach last weekend.
We normally increase our services just before the Easter holidays to ensure we’re on top of bin collections and keeping our seafront clean.
But with crowds never seen before on the seafront in February, we’ve already started our post-winter services to cope with the number of people descending on the beach.
'Numbers like a warm summer's day'
Councillor Amy Heley, chair of the council’s environment, transport and sustainability committee, said: "The seafront was extremely busy at the weekend, especially for this time of year, with the crowds resembling the numbers of people we get on a warm summer’s day.
"As this trend is likely to continue as lockdown eases, it’s very important we have measures in place to cope with the demand."
We are:
- adding an extra 70 large communal-sized black bins
- recruiting extra permanent and summer street cleansing staff
- using additional agency staff
- increasing our bin emptying capacity from one to two trucks
- using better signage on the bins
- working with seafront businesses and local tidy-up groups to help tackle the problem of litter at the seafront
- handing out on-the-spot fines of £150 for littering.
Councillor Heley added: "We have almost 400 bins along the seafront that people can use for their rubbish. If the closest bin is full, we’re asking people to please find one that isn’t full or take their rubbish home.
'No excuse for littering'
"There’s no excuse for leaving litter either on the beach or beside a bin that’s already full.
"If people are prepared to carry food packaging, cans, bottles and plastics onto the beach, they must take responsibility for their litter and take it away and dispose of it properly."