Communal bins scheme is a success

A communal container scheme could be extended across a city after trials left the streets visibly cleaner.

Brighton and Hove City Council has been piloting the scheme, where residents can get rid of their rubbish whenever they like, in the Clifton Hill area.

The large bins are shared with other houses across 24 streets, saving the wait for a weekly rubbish collection.

Environment councillor Gill Mitchell said the council had had requests for the service from 37 other streets.

"The communal container service is significantly cheaper to run than a normal weekly rubbish collection," she said.

Ms Mitchell added that the cost of the service was £53,000 less than the traditional refuse service, meaning savings could be ploughed back into other areas.

The trial has been running for a year, with a council survey revealing that 93% of residents found the containers easy to use, while 89% said they thought the streets looked cleaner.