Dog waste bins removed from Beccles Common

The supplier for the dog waste bins at Beccles Common has removed them after the town council failed to agree on a contract renewal.

Councillors disputed the £5,000 price the waste provider quoted to maintain the bins at the site in the town.

The council has said they will put temporary dog poo bins there until an agreement is made.

Beccles Common by Nick Butcher (Image: Nick Butcher)

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In a statement, a spokeswoman said: "The Town Council are reviewing our grounds maintenance contract, including for emptying waste bins at the Common, to ensure that we are getting value for money.

"Our current supplier quoted over £5,000 to empty the bins on the common, which councillors did not believe was good value.

"We have found an alternative supplier at a lower cost and councillors will decide next week whether to accept this revised quote.

"Our temporary wheelie bins will remain in place until the new supplier is able to get their bins on site."

The town council added they were "not expecting" the dog poo bins to be taken away so quickly.

Snow covers The Avenue - a popular path for walkers and dogs that links Beccles Common with the town, taken by Bill Darnell (Image: Bill Darnell)

One person on social media argued that walkers should take their dog poo home anyway.

In a post, they said: "Whether there are bins or not people should still think of others and pick it up we’ve all got bins at home nothing worse than trying to scrap dog s**t off of children’s shoes."

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Another comment supported that argument saying: "If you were a responsible dog owner you’d not complain about the lack of bins and would bag it up and take it home to dispose of instead.

"It’s not a difficult thing to work out." 

Somebody else said: "The problem with dog mess being left is not down to lack of infrastructure to dispose of it but lazy owners."

Dog walkers on a snowy day at Beccles Common by Nick Butcher (Image: Nick Butcher)However, one comment criticised the council and argued the bins not being there will encourage people to not pick up waste.

The comment read: "No bins on Beccles common to put dog poo bags in!! This is going to encourage people not to pick poo up, what the hell."

Another said: "Yet more council cuts and this one is disgusting."

Another added: "I noticed the bins weren't there on my walk this morning and found it shocking really."

Beccles Common on a frosty Boxing Day morning (Image: Nick Butcher)