AN AWARD-WINNING community association is appealing for help in keeping a Radcliffe housing estate free of rubbish.

Abbey Close Tenants and Residents Association have complained after repeatedly seeing their communal bins overflowing with waste, owing partly to a lack of recycling. The group, who recently picked up an ‘Outstanding’ award from the Royal Horticultural Society for their community garden, say that refuse collectors have refused to remove any rubbish left on top of the bins and instead piled it at the side of the bin shed.

Dot Wood, chairman of the association, said: “Instead of this rubbish being taken away, it is just left at the side of the bins.

“Two weeks ago, some of the bags were ripped and there was rubbish being left to spill out onto the floor.This has been going on for two years and it has got to the point where we are fed up. With that rubbish being left at the side, it means we have to put those back in the bins once they are emptied and they will be overflowing again by the time of the next collection. It makes the estate look untidy. We are doing our best to make it nice, with some new flower beds and other things, but this ruins it. The bins are an eyesore.

“A lot of people don’t recycle and that is up to them, I can’t force them to.”

Residents have also seen people from outside the estate dumping their rubbish at the bins, which are publicly accessible.

She added: “We have cars coming in from Turks Road and dumping their rubbish at our bins. We have had mattresses and all sorts left here, but most of it is general household waste. Anyone could just walk up and put stuff in them.

“It used to be that extra bags were taken away without any problem. These bins have started the fly-tipping problem. I know it is not just in our area, it is across the borough.”

A Bury Council spokesman said: “There is easily enough capacity in the bins for people’s residual waste if they also use the recycling bins.

“It is a real shame that, while many people across the borough are doing their best to recycle, a few persist in not recycling.

“Recycling is not just good for the environment, but good for local council tax payers. People’s efforts to recycle have saved Bury nearly £1 million over the last year in reduced waste disposal costs.

“If anyone wants more information or help, please see our website at bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=10379.”