Calls have been made for the return of litter bins to a busy out-of-town shopping complex near Perth.
Inveralmond Retail Park used to have rubbish bins for the public to use dotted around the shop fronts and car park, but with fears of COVID waste being a danger, they were taken away.
The privately-owned retail park in Ruthvenfield Road is home to around half a dozen big names, located at an intersection that draws customers off the dual carriageways servicing Edinburgh, Dundee and Inverness as well as local shoppers.
The Perthshire Advertiser was recently contacted by Perth resident David Robertson, who said in the 10 minutes he stood and talked to a friend outside the entrance of Marks and Spencer Food, “numerous” people approached the pair and enquired where they might find a bin.
"There were so many reasons to want a rubbish receptacle,” said David.
“There’s a branch of Costa Coffee, so obviously some people will walk off with their takeaway coffee cup. Or they might munch an M&S sandwich and not want to fill up their car with the wrapper and empty drinks bottles.
“While I stood talking on Saturday, numerous people asked if I knew where a bin was, it happened perhaps two or three times in 10 minutes.
“The complex is ideally placed for people on car journeys so it stands to reason they are going to want to ‘refuel’ and then find somewhere to put their rubbish.
“Either way, having bins seems sensible.”
Perth City North councillors John Rebbeck and Ian Massie have now taken up the case.
Cllr Rebbeck said: “My understanding is that the lidded bins were rightly removed during COVID but hopefully we will see a more appropriate bin type return as we learn to live with the virus.”
Cllr Massie added: “Having spoken to several of the retailers at the park, I was pleased to hear that they take a proactive approach to keeping the area litter free with staff tasked to clearing up any litter on a daily basis and certainly, when John and I visited on Wednesday there didn’t seem to be a huge litter problem.”
The Perthshire Advertiser attempted to contact the owner of the retail park to discuss the wish for bins to return, but there was only a fax machine on the listed number for the business while an agent could not be contacted.
