Dog waste bins in Hillingdon scrapped to save cash

All 700 dog waste bins in a west London borough are to be removed to save money, the local authority has said.

Hillingdon Council said dog owners should use litter bins or their own bins at home and a separate dog service was no longer necessary.

The change will save £160,000 a year, with £60,000 of that to be spent on extra street cleaning.

On its website, the Ruislip Residents' Association said some of Hillingdon's dog bins already overflowed under the current collection service, and that the council had not published a list or map to show any alternative bins.

The council's report acknowledged the risk of an increase in dog fouling, but said it could be managed with signs, communications and enforcement, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The 14.5 tonnes of dog waste collected each month will now go into general waste, which the council said its existing bins could handle.

The plan was signed off without a formal public consultation, which the residents' association criticised.

Officers considered keeping the bins or removing only those already near litter bins, but rejected that because a separate collection service would still be needed.

Stickers reading "I can take dog waste too" will go on litter bins in parks and dog walking spots before the bins are removed in phases.

The report described removal as "the most effective and efficient option available to the council".

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