Residents battling rats and swarms of flies as rubbish piles up outside flats

Kieran Molloy, Local Democracy Reporter

Residents say a growing mountain of uncollected rubbish outside their flats has left them battling rats, seagulls and swarms of flies.

People living at Cwrt Coles in Cardiff say waste has been piling up outside the apartment block for weeks, with some claiming there has been no general rubbish collection for around 10 weeks.

Other residents said the rubbish may have gone uncollected for around four weeks.

David Power, whose flat is next to the waste pile, said he had seen cats, dogs, rats and seagulls attracted to the rubbish.

Multiple residents told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) they could smell the waste from inside their homes.

Mr Power said: “There’s more flies than ever this summer than there’s ever been. Maybe that’s the hot weather but I think it’s the bins.”

The Tremorfa resident said the problem had been going on for “a long time now” and claimed there were not enough bins for the block, resulting in rubbish being piled around them.

Another resident, Marcy Webbe, said: “We have more flies in the flat and I think it’s because they’re coming from the bins.

“They’re able to get in through the windows and there’s just so many more flies.”

She said she could hear rats “scurrying” around the pile when she went to dispose of her rubbish.

Ms Webbe said: “I’ll stay about a foot away when I’m throwing something because I need to get rid of the rubbish but I feel awful contributing to it.”

Residents also said seagulls attracted to the waste were picking up rubbish and spreading it around nearby streets.

Sudha Talluru, who also lives at the block, said: “You can’t approach the rubbish area because there are lots of seagulls surrounding it and they just distribute the rubbish everywhere.

“[The rubbish is] just literally on the streets and pathways and everywhere.”

Ms Webbe added: “[The seagulls left] a load of food on top of my car the other day, there was like a load of rotten tomatoes or something.”

Another resident, Brandon Price, said: “With how bad it’s become now, it seems surreal.”

Ms Talluru said she had reported the problem to FirstPort, the management company for Cwrt Coles, but claimed nothing had been done.

She said: “You just feel like you’re living next to a dump yard.

“I never imagined this would happen in Cardiff.”

She said Cardiff Council had continued to collect glass and recycling from the development, but general waste had been left.

Waste collections

FirstPort said the build-up was being caused by people who did not live at Cwrt Coles dumping rubbish at the site.

A spokesperson said: “We share residents’ concerns regarding the build up of rubbish at the bin stores at Cwrt Coles which is the result of non-residents disposing of their refuse at the site.

“The waste facilities are provided for the exclusive use of residents of the block and clear signage is in place to reflect this.

“However, additional waste is regularly deposited at the bin stores, placing increased pressure on the available facilities. We have repeatedly arranged for the excess waste to be removed from the site.

“To help maintain a clean and safe environment, a pest control contractor attends the site on a monthly basis and regular inspections are carried out.

“We continue to monitor the situation closely and are working with the local authority to address this issue and support longer-term improvements to the waste management arrangements at the development.”

Safe access

Cardiff Council said general waste collections had been prevented because crews could not safely access the communal bins.

A council spokesperson said: “Recycling and glass collections at Cwrt Coles continue to be carried out as scheduled. However, the ongoing accumulation of general waste around the communal bins has created significant access issues, preventing crews from safely completing residual waste collections.

“Our crews have repeatedly encountered unacceptable conditions at the site, including human and dog faeces on bin handles, open nappies and loose waste deposited around the containers.

“These conditions present serious health and safety risks for operational staff.

“This issue has been investigated previously, and a full clearance of the site was undertaken before Christmas, allowing normal collections to resume.

“However, the continued build-up of excess waste has once again obstructed access to the bins and prevented collections from being carried out safely.”

The council said it would work with the property management company, managing agents and residents to improve the way waste was presented.

It added: “If the issues persist, appropriate enforcement action will be considered to ensure waste is presented correctly and collections can continue safely and effectively.”

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