Manchester Residents in Abbey Hey Confront Piling Rubbish

A resident, who once had to navigate a path of fish heads “chucked” into her yard to reach her home, has stated that she frequently finds herself forced to climb over large accumulations of waste outside her property. Individuals residing on Kenyon Street and Madison Street in the Abbey Hey district of Gorton, Manchester, have informed the BBC that they must store refuse in their gardens due to the excessive amount of overflowing litter in the alleyways behind their residences. Local resident Siobhan Geogheghan expressed apprehension that the illegal dumping, which includes items such as fridges, mattresses, and other old furniture, could attract rats and mice, potentially compromising her children’s health. Manchester City Council indicated that communal bins are emptied three times per week and should offer “sufficient capacity” for residents, though it had received reports of large items being “dumped” in the vicinity. The mother of two children reported that this issue has persisted for years despite consistent complaints to the council. Residents share two communal waste bins, but neighbours reported that these often become full well before the scheduled collection date, with refuse collectors declining to remove any excess rubbish. Ms. Geogheghan commented: “They’re there to empty a bin – they don’t get paid enough to pick up everybody else’s waste.” She added: “I’ve got to climb over the rubbish to go and put my rubbish in the bin.” Ms. Geogheghan recounted an instance where she followed a trail of fish heads into the alley that had been “chucked in her yard.” “There was a point where I’ve opened my back gate and you couldn’t even step out for the amount of rubbish that’s piled up,” she stated. She further expressed: “I’m angry because if we do get rodents, they [Manchester City Council] are quick to blame the landlords. What’s going on outside is now coming into our homes, that’s not a landlord issue, it’s a council issue and a community issue.” A spokeswoman for the council explained: “Some properties in Manchester do not have adequate storage space for individual wheelie bins and therefore they share bins in the passageway behind their homes. In this street in Abbey Hey, the communal bins are emptied three times per week and the amount of capacity should be sufficient for the amount of household waste produced.” She encouraged residents to report anyone who failed to dispose of items properly in the communal bins provided.