Restore Rubbish Bins in Exeter

Recently Exeter City Council have taken the baffling decision to remove rubbish bins from multiple areas of the city, stating they're "underused and in the wrong location" as a reason for this (from the council's own website, which tries to put a positive spin on it yet admits it will make it harder for the public to dispose of rubbish: https://news.exeter.gov.uk/targeting-resources-on-cleansing-will-help-exeter-stay-looking-great/ ).

This is manifestly untrue as the bins they have removed (e.g. Nadder Park Road; Dunsford Gardens; near the prison; near the university; by the Cathedral Green) were all well-used. No doubt they plan to remove many more well-utilised bins. The real reason is likely to be the cost of emptying them, but providing bins and keeping the streets clean is one of the council's responsibilities.

I have heard multiple people voice frustration at the difficulty of finding a bin, especially for dog poo. While a majority of people will take their rubbish home (or maybe not, in the case of bags of dog waste?!), a lack of bins will inevitably lead to more littering. As well as the inconvenience to the public of a lack of bins, and the unsightly prospect of litter blowing everywhere, this will surely end up costing the council more to clean up than they would have spent on just providing bins.

It's highly unrealistic and unfair to assume everyone will simply take their rubbish home with them if they can't find a bin. Without public bins there will be litter everywhere, just like how the incidences of fly-tipping significantly increased when Devon County Council made it more expensive to take things to the recycling centres. Bring back the bins!

If enough people sign this perhaps the council will listen; we can protect the environment and stop Exeter and its green spaces becoming an ugly city full of litter.