A COUNCILLOR said it’s “nonsense” if others believe litter-louts would suddenly change their habits and dispose of their rubbish properly if a refuse bin was installed.

Reports have been received of people consistently driving down a quiet lane in Rockwell Green and throwing fast-food wrappings out of the car window.

Members of Wellington Town Council’s environment committee heard on June 18 the problem was prevalent in Popes Lane which runs off the A38 between the Exeter Road roundabout at one end and the Chelston roundabout at the other.

Councillors heard there is a regular voluntary litter-pick in Popes Lane and a request had gone into the council about putting a proper rubbish bin in the area - which would cost in the region of £1,000 – in the hope it might encourage people to act more responsibly.

The council’s open spaces manager, Darren Hill, said his team often went down and collected several bags of rubbish which had been picked-up by the volunteers.

“It seems as if people are driving down Popes Lane and throwing their litter out of the car window,” he said.

Cllr John Thorne said: “I do not think we should do this. People who go down there at the moment in cars and throw their rubbish out of the window aren’t suddenly going to start parking up and getting out of their cars and walking over to put their stuff into a bin.

“For us to spend £1,000 every time someone comes to us and asks for a litter bin to be installed would be nonsense.”

Cllr Thorne continued: “We need to do a proper strategy review of all litter bins and dog bins in the area to see what is needed.

“If we spent £1,000 on a litter bin in Popes Lane, we’d be spending another £1,000 on a litter bin somewhere else next month, and then we’d be spending another £1,000 the following month.

“We will always be getting people coming to us asking us for a litter bin and we shouldn’t give a kneejerk reaction – we’re talking about council taxpayers’ money.”

Mr Hill explained to councillors that the rubbish was usually takeaway fast-food packaging and wrappers.

“It is a quiet lane and people drive down there and just throw it out of the car windows because there’s nobody ever about,” he said.

Councillors agreed that they should carry out an overall survey of litter and dog bins in Wellington and Rockwell Green and look at things as a whole rather than dealing with the situation on a case-by-case basis.

The discussion about a rubbish problem in Popes Lane came two months after the environment committee had decided not to go-ahead with a large scale community litter-pick in the town.

The idea had come as a request from a member of the public who was concerned there was an increase in litter problems in the town – although some councillors felt the issue in Wellington was not as severe as suggested.