RESIDENTS have been complaining this week about the untidy state of the bins on the Town Trail beauty spot in Ledbury, the walk that follows the route of a defunct railway line through the heart of town.

Ledbury Town Council office has received two separate complaints and local resident, Edd Hogan, contacted The Ledbury Reporter with his concerns.

The town council forwarded the complaints to Herefordshire Council, which has the responsibility of emptying the bins and keeping them in good order.

Mr Hogan said: "I cycled the Town Trail in Ledbury at the weekend and was saddened to see the poor state that some of the litter bins are in. Most of them were full and some were positively over-flowing mainly with dog waste bags and empty beer cans.

"Does the lack of maintenance – missing bins, incomplete covers and defaced bins – point to a lack of care, lack of funds, or something else? To my mind the bins should either be properly maintained or removed. The fact that a considerable amount of drinking goes on in places along the Town Trail is another issue entirely. The alcohol consumption ban that currently exists is as good as useless as no one is there to enforce it. The lack of dog waste bins is clearly another issue."

Mr Hogan added: "The Town Trail was once the pride of our town – a green linear space for walkers, cyclists, young and old to enjoy. Now it is an overgrown, worn out and poorly maintained space that attracts illicit drinking and littering. I recently raised the issue of maintenance of the Town Trail, and Riverside Walk, at a Town Council Environment and Leisure Committee meeting, with a proposal that the town council invests in maintaining these areas and renewing worn paths. The town council voted not to do anything as it was held to be an issue for the county council which means that, with a lack of funding, the situation will not improve any time soon. What a pity."

Cllr Tony Bradford, chairman of the town's environment and leisure committee said: "I agree with Mr Hogan, but he has to go to the right people. The best of luck to Mr Hogan, in getting this sorted."

Mr Bradford added: "Bin empting is the responsibility of Herefordshire Council. I can't do it, and Ledbury Town Council cannot do it. It is the responsibility of the county council, and they have had budget cuts."

But Herefordshire Council insists it is meeting its obligations.

A spokesman said: "Our contractor, Balfour Beatty Living Places empties the Ledbury Town Trail bins on behalf of Herefordshire Council. Bins along the Ledbury Town Trail are emptied and checked for their condition on a twice weekly basis – the most recent rubbish collections took place on October 4 and October 10.”

A check by The Reporter on Tuesday (October 10) revealed that the bins on the stretch from Ledbury Primary to the railway bridge were in good order.

Mr Hogan highlighted Bridge Street towards Little Marcle Road as a particular problem area, and a town council spokesman said one complaint had concerned the Woodleigh Road to Lower Road stretch.