BASILDON Council could step in and take additional action in a bid to reduce levels of abandoned shopping trolleys in the borough.

On Wednesday, 20 January at a meeting of the Neighbourhoods and Public Spaces Committee, councillors will debate whether a letter signed by the Chairman should be sent to supermarkets appealing for them to take more action in retrieving abandoned trolleys.

The letter will set out that if improvement is not seen the council will enact the powers adopted under Section 99 of the Environmental Protection Act (1990) to remove, store and dispose of shopping trollies found within the borough, with removal and storage charges being met by the supermarket which owns them. This would be done on a three month trial basis including fees and charges to recharge supermarkets for the costs incurred, subject to a period of consultation with supermarkets.

Chairman of the Neighbourhoods and Public Spaces Committee, Cllr David Harrison said: "We must reduce the numbers of abandoned shopping trolleys in our communities and hold those responsible to account.

"It is the responsibility of the supermarkets to remove them not the council's. We want to work together with the borough's supermarkets, but we will not hesitate to use the powers available to us in dealing with this issue if improvements are not made.

"We also encourage people to not take shopping trolleys home with them – this can have a real impact on our neighbourhoods and open spaces.

"We work hard to keep our streets clean and tidy, but discarded shopping trolleys undermine that work. We must look at a way to stop or at least reduce current levels."