'Growing issue': Wheelie bins are being left out on this Kildare street
The dilemma was raised at a recent Kildare County Council meeting
There is a ‘growing issue’ of wheelie bins being left out one County Kildare street.
The situation was highlighted by Social Democrats councillor Chris Pender at the latest Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District meeting, which took place on Wednesday, May 20 last.
Near the end of this meeting, Cllr Pender motioned for Kildare County Council (KCC) to ‘examine and report on the growing issue of domestic bins being left on footpaths in town centre locations, particularly where former shopfront and above-shop units have been converted to apartments without adequate bin storage’.
He also wanted KCC’s report to ‘set out practical options to provide managed bin storage solutions, protect accessibility on footpaths’ and ‘to ensure future change-of-use developments properly address waste storage at planning stage’.
Cllr Pender’s motion was seconded by Fine Gael Cllr Peggy O’Dwyer.
Speaking further on his motion, Cllr Pender told KCC that wheelie bins ’are being left all over the footpath’ in Eyre Street in Newbridge.
He also said that the issue was present in the town centre — ‘And I’m sure it’s happening in other areas [of the town],” he added.
Cllr Pender proceeded to tell KCC that he would like it to ‘to work on identifying a way to deal with something like this’.
“It’s getting to a point where, for example, on Eyre Street, you have to go on the road instead of the footpath,” he explained.
‘INCREASE IN LITTERING’
Furthermore, he told KCC: “We are also seeing an increase in littering and people dumping rubbish in other people’s wheelies bins.”
Cllr O’Dwyer then spoke and voiced her support for Cllr Pender’s comments.
She also noted that National Make Way Day 2026 was approaching, on Friday, May 29, 2026.
“We have to enforce this and look at providing alternatives [for people who have no space for bins],” Cllr O’Dwyer added.
Cllr Pender entered the conversation once more to say that he agreed with her sentiments.
LENGTHY RESPONSE
KCC issued an in-depth response to Cllr Pender’s motion via the report it presented at the meeting.
The report read as follows: “Statutory Instrument 648/2025 - Planning and Development Act (Exempted Development) Regulations 2025 amended Article 10 of the Planning and Development Regulations as amended by Statutory Instrument No. 30 of 2018, to provide an exemption for the change of use, and any related works, of certain vacant commercial premises to residential without the need to obtain planning permission.
The change of use, and any related works, must occur between when the 2018 Regulation came into operation on 8 February 2018 until 31 December 2028.
Therefore, while the exempted development will be permanent in nature, the exemption can only be availed of for a temporary period.
KCC continued: “The relevant planning authority must be notified in writing of the details of the development at least two weeks prior to the commencement of the proposed change of use, and related works, and the notification must include information on the location and details of residential units being developed.
In these situations, an assessment of bin provision storage / management does not form part of this process as the planning authority is not required to issue a decision to grant or refuse permission.
However, during the assessment of standard change of use applications from commercial to residential an assessment of bin provision storage / management does form part of the assessment process.
REQUIREMENTS
KCC also noted that kerbside waste presentation requirements specify that:
- Except on the day before and the designated waste collection day, kerbside waste containers are to be kept within the curtilage of the premises where the waste is produced
- Council byelaws stipulate that kerbside waste shall not be presented for collection earlier than 8pm on the day immediately preceding the designated waste collection day
- Kerbside waste containers shall be removed from any roadway, footpath or other public place no later than 8am on the day following the designated waste collection day
KCC added that a fixed payment notice may be issued to a person found to have contravened these Bye-Laws.
Lastly, KCC told Cllr Pender at the end of its report: “If the councillor, or anyone else, has concerns about persistently blocked footpaths, they should contact the Council's Environment Department to report an obstruction.”
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