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04
May 2022
Two new smart bins branded an 'eyesore' outside Harrogate's Valley Gardens are to be moved.
Harrogate Borough Council said today it would "find a more suitable location for the bins", which it revealed cost £4,350 each.
The bins use sensors to identify different types of waste, as well as how full the receptacles are and whether they have been damaged.
Harrogate Civic Society and the Friends of Valley Gardens both called for the bins to be relocated this week because of their visual impact on the conservation area.
The council has installed six smart bins, costing a total of £26,1000, in Valley Gardens. But it is the two outside the main entrance that have attracted criticism.
Stuart Holland, co-chair of the civic society, said it welcomed receptacles to collect waste and recycling but described the smart bins as ‘eyesores’.
Ann Beeby, secretary of the Friends of Valley Gardens charity, said it has aesthetic concerns and had asked the council to consider moving them inside the entrance.
Two bins have also been installed in the children's play area.
The council spokesperson said the new solar-powered compacting public bins would "improve efficiency and increase recycling".
They added:
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