Brighton butcher fears pests under council's new rules

Paul Clark told The Argus how he fears being overun by “maggots, flies and rats” if he moves the trade waste bin from outside.

The 50-year-old claims that Brighton and Hove City Council's new bin rules are creating a potential health hazard.

And says he will face a fine unless he starts storing his bin next to the refrigerators at Clark’s Meat and Poultry on Lewes Road.

Paul Clark's bin currently sits in Pevensey Road, Brighton

Paul said: "It can introduce maggots, flies, rats. 

“It’s general waste, but if I open the packaging and it’s had blood on it, it still smells, and it still encouraging pests.”

“If one of the bags has split on the boxes and then that goes soggy, that encourages pests as well.”

Under the council's new rules, Paul says he will have to transport an industrial bin through his shop’s main food preparation area.

He says he will then have to store it in a back room next to meat refrigerators.

Although the shop has a different bin for food waste, Paul is still concerned about hygiene. 

READ MORE: Scores on the Doors: New food hygiene ratings in Brighton and Hove

Paul added: “We run a food shop, and work closely with environmental health.

“We’d have pest control issues if we were to have waste in the shop, it’s totally unfeasible.

"I’m sure environmental health wouldn’t accept trade waste to be stored inside.”

The butchers, which has no back access, currently stores its waste bin on the street.

Every day, staff transfer trade waste from the shop to the bin, ready for collection twice-a-week.

However, the council’s new rules mean businesses can only keep waste off-premises on their designated collection day, between 6am and 9am, and 6pm and 9pm.

And fines of £110 can be issued by environmental enforcement officers if bins are left on the street outside their designated time.

Highways in Brighton and Hove affected by the new rules

The rules were confirmed in June 2021 following a public consultation,

The council say 80 percent of respondents called for better methods of managing commercial waste on the highway.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove city council said: “We have advised Mr Clark to contact our food safety team if he has specific concerns about food waste storage.

“Through the consultation we also heard from a lot of local businesses who do not use the pavement for bin storage – and who feel those who do are effectively getting an unfair advantage.”