Call for action to stop hundreds of shopping trolleys being dumped in city neighbourhood

Nicholas Thomas, local democracy reporter

Trolleys dumped in drainage channels are a nuisance and pose a flood risk, warns a councillor who has reported more than 100 incidents in the past year.

Newport councillor Andrew Sterry said abandoned trolleys were blighting his Lliswerry ward and could cause blockages in reens running through residential areas.

He has called on Newport City Council to improve the system for collecting dumped trolleys, and said supermarkets should play a greater role in retrieving them.

New policy

The council is reportedly preparing a new policy for abandoned trolleys – but this is likely to be limited to incidents on public land.

“Whenever a trolley is reported… which has been dumped in a watercourse, we are finding it takes several months or that they are not collected at all,” said Cllr Sterry.

“When a trolley finds its way into our watercourses this can cause blockages, and ultimately may impact residents if the watercourse breaks its banks with flooding. In our Lliswerry ward we have several watercourses that run through residential areas.

“I have reported over 115 abandoned trolleys over the last 12 months, and since 2016 I have reported hundreds of abandoned trolleys, with many of these dumped in our watercourses.”

Legal duty

Cllr Sterry said residents who have waste removed from their homes have a legal duty to make sure that work is done by a registered waste carrier – or may be fined.

“Why can’t we treat supermarkets the same as they should have a legal duty to ensure that their supermarket trolleys do not end up in our watercourses?” he asked.

Cllr Yvonne Forsey, the cabinet member for climate change, said the council had only limited powers to change the rules.

“Supermarkets are responsible for collection of their trolleys and most have signed up to schemes with private contractors, such as Trolleywise, for collection of abandoned trolleys,” she said.

“This is a UK wide scheme,” Cllr Forsey explained. “The council cannot change primary legislation and has no ability to fine supermarkets for abandoned trolleys, as it is the residents – not the business – abandoning them.”

However, Cllr Forsey said she has “not been satisfied” with the system in Newport, and “as such, officers have been working to develop a new abandoned shopping trolley policy that will be sent for consultation and approval shortly”.

“It is important to note the limit of council powers,” she added. “Removal from private land remains the landowner responsibility and main rivers the responsibility of Natural Resources Wales.”

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Sterry said he had “hoped for a more positive response” but “at least Newport Council is now looking into additional measures with regards to reporting abandoned trolleys that are left on [public] land”.

“It’s a start, but I do feel we are a long way off managing these shopping trolleys,” he added.