New measures to charge Reading supermarkets and conveniece stores for abandoned shopping trolleys that are found dumped around the town look set to be adopted later this month.
After a borough-wide consultation process where no significant objections were made, Reading Borough Council officers will recommend to a Cabinet meeting on April 16th to accept measures that will see charges for removal, storage, or the disposal or return of shopping or luggage trolleys left abandoned.
As part of the process, the Council will consult with Reading businesses and organisations affected by the changes at least every five years in order to monitor the impacts of the measure. An early review of the charges may also be necessary if there is any significant change in circumstances.
Proposed Reading charges would be as follows:
• Removal: £15 per trolley
• Storage: £7.50 per week or part week
• Return the trolley to the business: £15 per trolley
• Disposal: £50 per trolley
If agreed by Cabinet on April 16, the new Reading charges are likely to come into force from July 17.
Reading Borough Council’s Lead Member for Environment and Climate Change, Cllr Paul Gittings, said: “Residents in Reading are fiercely proud of their local areas and unattractive abandoned trolleys undermine this. We want to make Reading a greener and cleaner place to be and it is only fair that businesses who do not put in place the appropriate measures to collect their trolleys pay for their retrieval.”
The Environmental Protection Act 1990 allows local councils to remove abandoned shopping trolleys from their land and recover subsequent costs. After removal a notice must then be served on the owner of the trolley within 14 days. If the owner claims the trolley it must be returned but only after the Council’s charges have been paid. If the trolley is not claimed by the business, the Council may dispose of the trolley after a period of six weeks and may charge the owner for the subsequent costs of disposal.
Reading Borough Council
