An action group in Cathays says that residents need to work with the council to deal with the area’s waste problem.
The Keep Cathays Tidy group holds monthly litter-picking sessions to clean up local streets, but says it has seen an increase in complaints about waste and commercial fly-tipping recently.
The group is aiming to expand its clean-up efforts, but has asked local people to play their part by reporting any issues to the local authority as soon as they can.
There have been multiple complaints in recent weeks about piles of waste in and around Cathays Railway Station, on Senghennydd Road. Some locals have also become frustrated by the contents of split refuse sacks being strewn across residential streets.
Keep Cathays Tidy was established by a combination of local residents and councillors, and receives backing from the local authority. For its part, Cardiff Council says it recognises that more could be done to help keep the area clean, but that budget cuts mean funding must be funneled into more urgent front-line services.
Cllr Sarah Merry, who is deputy leader of Cardiff Council, praised the group’s efforts to highlight the issue. But she said that residents, businesses and the authority must all share responsibility for clearing up waste in their area.
“It only takes one bag of rubbish to be put out on the wrong day to be split open, and the street will look dreadful. That’s all it takes, and actually you do have a responsibility for where you live,” Cllr Merry said.
“The council could always look to improve their services, and I certainly wouldn’t say there are not areas where we couldn’t improve, but councils are under increasing financial pressures.”
The group says it will expand its efforts to tackle waste over the coming months.
