New bins are 'unuseable' for wheelchair users

The new-style bins in Oldham town centre

The Council has installed new bins which cannot be used by wheelchair-bound residents across the town centre.

Crompton Cllr Louie Hamblett met with the head of the council’s environmental services team to demonstrate the issues, following which two of the old-style bins have now been reinstated.

At the  meeting, Cllr Hamblett asked local resident Shona Farnworth – who has multiple disabilities – to demonstrate the impossibility of using the bin from her wheelchair, which clearly showed the difficulties.  

The bins can only be operated by either a footplate - which cannot be reached by most in a wheelchair, or by a pull-down door - which is impossible to reach over from a sitting position.

Cllr Hamblett says the council should have carried out an Equality Impact Assessment, which ensures services and legislation do not discriminate against anyone

He told the Chronicle: “If the council where as resident focused as they say, then an equality impact assessment should have been carried out. Everyone should be able to use the bins easily. That no-one realised that they were inaccessible until after they had been installed says everything about the failure of the Council to do its job properly.

"This is what happens if you fail to do this – thousands of pounds spent on bins that residents can’t use."

Councillor Hamblett has now written to Council Leader Amanda Chadderton to ask why no Equality Impact Assessment was carried out, and and to ask what the Council plans to do about the remainder of the bins.

An Oldham Council spokesperson told the Chronicle that it is investing more than £520,000 to replace old bins across the borough as part of our Don’t Trash Oldham campaign.

“Residents told us they wanted bigger bins and we have listened and put them in place.
 
“The new bins are used by council’s across the country and are an industry standard design.
 
“The manufacturers confirmed that they meet Disability Discrimination Act requirements and thousands have been installed globally.
 
“As Councillor Hamblett points out, an officer did meet with the resident and listened to their concerns.
 
“Following this discussion we’ll be replacing two bins in the town centre with units that are being used across the borough.”

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something going on in and around Oldham? Let us know by emailing news@oldham-chronicle.co.uk , calling our Oldham-based newsroom on 0161 633 2121 , tweeting us @oldhamchronicle or messaging us through our Facebook page. All contact will be treated in confidence.