“If people didn’t steal and dump trolleys, we wouldn’t have to waste time and resources on solving this problem.”
This is the message from Council Leader Philip Jackson, in response to a public question about abandoned supermarket trollies asked by resident Les Bonner at the recent full council meeting, held at Grimsby Town Hall.
Mr Bonner said to the chamber: “At the July meeting of the council, I asked a question about the proliferation of shopping trollies near one of the supermarkets close to where I live. In reply, Coun Swinburn reminded me of the council’s use of the Trolleywise app to report abandoned shopping trolleys, which he claimed is the most time and cost-effective approach.
“I normally take a short walk in the area of the Freshney Valley two or three times each week and in the four-month period from August to September I have reported 61 trollies in the countryside and adjacent streets. I am sure there are also others that are either reported by others or go unreported. In addition, there was a period when the app was not working for approximately three weeks when I was unable to report any at all. I am certain this situation is repeated at other locations, as can be seen from regular reports in the local press of trollies being collected by volunteers.
“These trollies can be misused, resulting in damage to cars and property and can also contribute to fly-tipping in public spaces and alleyways, the cost being borne by residents. The evidence shows that while the current approach adopted by the council may be time and cost-effective it fails to address the problem.
“Has Coun Swinburn any information about what action North East Lincolnshire Council intends to take to resolve this problem, including any planned action under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 and the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014?”
Coun Jackson replied: “If people didn’t steal and dump trolleys, we wouldn’t have to waste time and resources on solving this problem. It adds to the costs for supermarkets, impacting on the prices they charge, and it adds to the council tax we levy. I’m afraid it’s yet another example of the ‘anything goes’ culture that is all too prevalent in certain sections of our local community, and I take this opportunity to publicly condemn it.
“Having said that, abandoned shopping trolleys are a national problem and legal responsibility for retrieval rests with the owner of the trolley. Trolleywise is funded by supermarkets to collect abandoned trolleys, to fulfil their legal obligations.
“The council’s fly tipping collection resources are already stretched, and it is therefore our preference to allow the companies responsible for tackling this problem the opportunity to resolve the situation. When we receive reports of shopping trolleys on the highway or council land, we collect these within five days and keep them in our depot until Trolleywise can collect. If trolleys are abandoned on private land or in the part of the River Freshney which is not managed by NELC; the responsibility sits with the supermarket or the landowner to remove. In these cases, we leave Trolleywise to resolve the situation and charge back the supermarket accordingly for the retrieval, which sometimes takes longer.
“We recognise we have powers under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 to collect abandoned trolleys and recharge companies. However, having shared best practice with other local authorities, we understand that the administration process for this is burdensome, is rarely cost neutral to the Local Authority and delivers limited benefits compared to the national Trolleywise operation. Taking legal action against supermarkets for abandoned trolleys is also not recommended unless we have first given them an opportunity to rectify the problem, which again would involve a report to Trolleywise.
“We did a publicity campaign last year and had positive impact on the number of trolleys abandoned. I take this opportunity to once again highlight to supermarkets the issue we are experiencing with abandoned trolleys and recommend to them that all trolleys are fitted with automatic locking devices.”
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