Council bin snoopers blasted

Chiefs from Epping Forest District Council are warning business owners in Queens Road not to throw out commercial waste.

The warning has come after town hall officials were handed “evidence” that some traders were throwing out the wrong kind of rubbish.

Blasting the bin ban, Heather Thirtle, who owns Heather Thirtle Estates, said: “This is absolutely ridiculous.

“I throw out one sack of rubbish every three weeks and now the council is saying they won’t collect it.

“What do we pay our business rates for?”

The dispute with council bosses has now seen Epping Forest Chamber of Commerce put its weight behind the battle.

Vice-chairman Christine Baker said: “To look into people’s bin bags is very heavy-handed.

“I think they’re taking very draconian, big brother steps.”

Businesses in Queens Road are already said to be struggling with a hike in business rates adding to their woes.

Peter Angel, chairman of the Buckhurst Hill Town Centre Partnership, said: “The traders are clearly upset at having this hassle from the council.

“All they seem to get for their business rates is council workers’ pensions.

“They’re pushing more and more traders to the brink.”

A spokesman for Epping Forest District Council said business rates do not cover the cost of commercial waste collections.

She added: “After receiving complaints that commercial waste was not being disposed of correctly from premises in Queens Road, Buckhurst Hill, an environment and neighbourhood officer from Epping Forest District Council carried out an investigation and found evidence that non-household waste was being left out to be collected by the council’s household waste collectors.

“The council will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that waste from businesses is disposed of correctly and not deposited on the street for long periods, or incorrectly left out as household waste for collection by the council.”