A COUNCILLOR has claimed residents on council estates leave their bins out after collections because they ‘don’t like pulling them long distances’.

The development management committee approved housing association Helena’s plans to build four two-bed apartments for affordable rent during Wednesday’s meeting.

The council-owned site, on Longshaw Street, was formerly home to around 15 garages.

Plans to build six apartments on the site were turned down last year.

Despite approving the application, councillors raised concerns about bins awaiting collection potentially being ‘piled up’ outside the home of a current resident on the ‘council estate’ street.

Cllr Peter Carey (LAB – Fairfield and Howley) expressed fears about ‘making a situation worse’ for residents by developing the site with ‘inadequate access’.

He added: “I don’t think anybody has any objections to the principle of a residential development of the garage site.

“That is the problem, the side of the property on Longshaw Street, where we were concerned that there could be conflict between refuse vehicles.

“It doesn’t matter if it is four apartments or six apartments, there is still going to be a refuse vehicle going down there.

“If you drive down any council estate, like Poplars Avenue at Orford, the bins are there for days.

“They don’t get taken in because the residents just don’t like the job of pulling them these long distances.”

Shortly after, Cllr Judith Wheeler (LD – Appleton) put forward an optimistic view.

She said: “I do note the neighbour on Longshaw Street has not objected – and you never know he or she might, out of the goodness of their heart, take the bins back to where they came from.”

Cllr Bob Barr (LD – Lymm North and Thelwall) added: “Committee after committee we complain bitterly that we aren’t getting enough affordable housing.

“Here we have got four affordable units with a potential minor inconvenience related to refuse, I really can’t understand why we are spending this amount of time potentially objecting to getting this land back into use.”

Six car parking spaces also form part of the application.