SHOPPING trolleys left abandoned by members of the public could be seized by the council with supermarkets having to pay £60 to get each one back.

Wrexham Council chiefs want to use powers under the Environmental Protection Act to collect and store them until their owners come forward and pay up.

The new policy could be brought in at the end of April if approved by leading councillors at an executive board meeting on Tuesday.

A report by chief environment officer John Bradbury, to go before the board, reads: “Shopping trolleys, taken from their original site and abandoned in the surrounding communities cause problems in many neighbourhoods.

“When abandoned these trolleys have a negative effect on the quality of the local environment and trolleys abandoned in water courses have the further potential to cause blockages, which result in a significant flooding risk.

“Wrexham Council would seek to recover the costs of collection, storage and disposal of abandoned trolleys from relevant trolley owners by charging £60 per trolley.”

That cost, the local authority has calculated, would be based on an estimated collection fee of £35 for sending out a van, £10 for storing the trolley and a further £15 administration fee.

Mr Bradbury’s report continues: “Abandoned trolleys have always been an issue for the council and have historically been dealt with on an ad-hoc basis.

“The adoption of the powers is an opportunity for the council to further enhance its enforcement measures and take a pro-active stance to effectively deal with the issue of abandoned trolleys and allow for the costs to be recovered from the owner of the trolleys.”

He adds: “The only option beyond that recommended is to continue to collect and store without charge.

“Despite the efforts of the local supermarkets to introduce arrangements to stop trolleys leaving the sites, the number of abandoned trolleys has remained constant after an initial improvement.”


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