Corby pensioners angry as bin store built on communal garden at sheltered housing complex

Residents living in a Corby sheltered housing complex have slammed council landlords after their communal garden was fenced off for a bin store.

Those living at Marlow Court in Farmstead Road launched a petition after North Northants Council’s decision to move the bins.

Residents with bin bags – many with mobility walkers and sticks – will have to negotiate their way through a fire door with raised lip and a sloped path.

Campaigning pensioners David McGuinness and neighbour Catherine Thomas have rallied Marlow Court tenants to demand action.

Mr McGuinness said: “It’s dismal. Not one person was consulted on this. It was just put up one day. They took away our quiet area. They took away our seating area. They took away our barbeque area. It’s just so unfair for residents. They have just gone ahead without any consultation.

”It has poor access and we are dreading the smell. Access is going to be difficult for a lot of the older people who struggle to walk. The store is an eyesore. There is no cover and no lighting, with poor pathways. How will the paths be looked after in the winter with the frosts? How will the residents with walking frames cope? The area is open and there are no doors so we are expecting foxes and rats. We’re not looking forward to the smell.”

The new much larger outdoor bin area replaces an enclosed store at the main entrance to the flats, accessed via an automatic door and path with handrails.

Tom Munro, who lives with Parkinson’s disease, has found the path to the new store tricky.

He said: “It’s the slope. I use a trolley – when you have any kind of weight on it like a bag of rubbish the trolley goes away from you.”

Mr Munro is also concerned for less able residents who will have to use a lipped fire exit and once in the store may struggle lifting the solid lids on the wheeled bins.

He said: “I can do it but some people won’t be able to get over. I think some people will leave their bin bags on the floor because they won’t be able to use the new bins.”

At a meeting between disgruntled residents and council staff the petition was handed over and changes were promised.

Mr McGuiness said: “The meeting went well. Progress was made when we all went outside to look at the bin area with the council looking into changing one of the ‘Biffa’ bins for normal black bins, hand rails and lighting were promised by the council. We will see what they do to follow up on their promises and hope no-one has an accident going to and from the bin area.”

The decision follows other changes at other North Northants Council (NNC) managed and owned housing complexes.

At another complex in Corby, residents were given an ultimatum to remove their mobility scooters from corridors.

In Kettering, the council U-turned on a decision to fence off a communal garden created by residents that had led to a furious reaction from those living at the sheltered housing complex.

Cllr Matt Binley, the council’s executive member for housing, communities and levelling up, said: “Officers and I met with residents of Marlow Court in January to discuss how some much-needed improvements could be made to the property as part of our investment into our sheltered accommodation.

“We have engaged with the tenants on three occasions so far this year, listened to their concerns and took away actions which have been followed through.

“One of the concerns was a lack of capacity for rubbish disposal and for recycling and we are now addressing this. The only suitable location to place the expanded bin storage was to the rear of the building so as to not obstruct safe access and egress to the building and the mobility scooter store.

“As part of the ongoing engagement with residents regarding the site improvements, officers had recently met with residents to discuss the siting of the new bin store and it has now been agreed by all that the rear of the building is the most suitable location for the bin store, however, the council will undertake some additional work before completion of the new site.

“This will include the erection of some lighting, the adaptation of a door so that there is a fob entry, assessment of the door frame to provide level access where possible and more handrails put in place. In addition a smaller black bin will replace one of the larger bins, to aid residents who cannot open the heavier bin lids.”