Date published: 2025-09-24 | Category: Bath, Focusing on prevention, Waste and Recycling
Businesses in Bath city centre are being reminded about new waste collection arrangements to help improve city centre streets that are being implemented from October 6 as part of a 12-month pilot.
The pilot by Bath & North East Somerset Council aims to enhance the historic city centre by increasing cleanliness, bringing both residents and visitors an improved experience in the World Heritage Site during shop hours and early evenings.
The changes will ensure that business waste is only on the streets outside the hours of 10am to 6pm and is properly contained to help deter gulls.
The changes are being introduced following a consultation held earlier this year. From October 6, refuse must be bagged and contained in reusable gull proof sacks or bins and all waste and recycling containers must be marked with the business name and address.
The evening collection window will be 6pm to 8.30pm instead of the current 5pm to 8.45pm. Morning collection times of 7.30am to 10am remain unchanged.
Further information for businesses can be found on the council’s Central Bath business waste restrictions webpage.
Councillor Mark Elliott, cabinet member for Resources, said: “We have a vibrant heritage city with unique, world-leading attractions, but that does mean lots of businesses generate large volumes of waste. Even though we know businesses are working with their suppliers to cut down on excess packaging, currently the early evenings are blighted with packaging strewn over the pavements, attracting gulls, and looking very unsightly. The 12-month pilot aims to address this for the benefit of everyone.”
“The change in policy for business waste collections will aim to improve the visual appeal of central Bath to visitors and residents alike, during shop opening hours and the busy early evening period. We have aligned these times to the hours of operation of the City Centre Security scheme.
“We have listened to feedback, and looked at the evidence from the consultation, which leads us to the conclusion that better containment of non-recyclable waste in labelled reusable sacks will help guard against the mess and noise that gulls can cause within the city. We hope the pilot will prove successful in making Bath’s streets even more attractive for visitors and residents to spend time and shop in.”
The council is working closely with local waste contractors to ensure they have ample time to plan for these changes and support their customers in central Bath.
Find out more about how the council helps manage business waste and recycling
Businesses and residents are also being reminded of investigative and remedial work ongoing at Stall Street.
Problems with gulls can be reported on the council website. Gulls are protected by law and it is illegal to injure the birds, eggs and their nests without consent from Natural England, which only issues licenses to allow interference with nests and eggs in very specific situations affecting public health or public safety.
ENDS