A DOCTORS' surgery which appealed for help after rubbish bins began overflowing within hours has been told they will now be emptied every week.
Frithwood Surgery said bins in its car park had become a persistent problem, with some people allegedly dumping entire bags of household rubbish in them.
The surgery said SEP Properties, which had emptied the bins for years, stopped doing so during the summer and had since disputed responsibility for them.
Staff at the surgery have been emptying the bins themselves when possible, while Chalford Parish Council has also stepped in to help.
However, SEP Properties said it sold the site to S5 Properties on October 1 and was no longer responsible for its management or maintenance.
It said arrangements had been in place for the bins to be emptied regularly while it owned the properties.
The bins as of 5.30pm on Friday, November 6, had been cleared this week with S5 Properties saying it has responded to the concerns and added that immediate action was being taken.
A company spokesperson said that provisions were being put in place so the issue was not repeated going forwards
A spokesperson said the company was unaware that, before the transfer of ownership, SEP Properties had instructed the facilities management company responsible for maintenance, including bin collections, to put all work on hold until further notice.
S5 Properties said it has now instructed the management company to attend the site by the end of Friday, November 6, to collect the rubbish and clean the bins.
The company has also introduced a weekly cleaning schedule.
A spokesperson said: “Our client has also instituted a weekly cleaning schedule to ensure that this situation does not reoccur.”
Meanwhile, Frithwood Surgery has urged visitors to help prevent the bins overflowing again.
It has asked people not to put rubbish in bins which are already full, not to dispose of household waste in them and, where possible, to take their rubbish home.
The surgery said: “We have been finding that the bags are sometimes so full in just a few hours that they are too heavy to lift and the bin bags are splitting.”
Before the latest announcement, the surgery said it had been considering other options, including finding another company to collect the rubbish or removing the bins altogether.
It also thanked Chalford Parish Council and others who have helped keep the car park clean while the issue has been ongoing.
A spokesperson for SEP Properties said: “We would like to clarify that SEP Properties is no longer the landlord of these properties and therefore has no responsibility for the ongoing management, maintenance, or upkeep of the site.”
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