'It's disgusting': Angry residents urge council to fix broken bin store that attracts rats and fly-tipping after being billed for clean-up
Residents of a development in Drylaw have urged the council to fix a broken bin store after they were landed with a bill for clearing it out.
Those living in a block of flats on Pennywell Road have spoken out about how a broken door on their communal bin store has led to the facility falling into disrepair, including suffering from flytipping, building piles of rubbish at the entrance, and even attracting rats.
City of Edinburgh Council stepped in in December 2025, sending letters out to residents of the block informing them about the issues with “improper use of the bin store” and urging residents to lock bin store doors behind them.
Earlier this month, residents of the block received an invoice from the council for a total of £723.94 - £51.71 per flat - as a charge for bulk item uplifts that took place in late December, early January, and again in late January.
Steven Murdoch, a resident who lives in the block, said: “It’s disgusting.
“You can’t lock it behind you, so there’s no way of securing the door like the council are asking us to do.”
The bin store itself has two doors - one which opens out to the main road and one which opens out onto a courtyard, which is still publicly accessible at the back of the building.
The courtyard entrance door has been broken for weeks, with the patched-up entrance not even currently able to be fully closed and therefore left ajar.
The condition of the bin store and piles of rubbish which accumulates has even attracted vermin, with rats spotted inside and near to the bin store at times.
Steven said: “One of my neighbours was followed into her flat by a rat. Her dog brought it inside and she has a young child, she shouldn’t have to put up with that. “
City of Edinburgh Council previously added a keypad lock to the main road door, which only provided access to waste service teams.
However, when we visited the property, this lock had also been broken meaning that the bin store was again fully accessible to the public from both doors.
Steven said: “I have seen a van drive up onto the main road and get out to dump their rubbish in there because there was nothing to stop them.”
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “I’ve lived here for 10 and-a-half years.
“I live in the flat directly above and I can’t open my windows for fresh air.
They added: “What happens is someone drops one black bin bag at the front, and for some reason other people seem to follow and then before you know it you can’t get into the bin room or lean forward to put your stuff into the bins, so you have no choice but to keep the stack higher and higher.
“When it gets like that, it goes from ceiling to floor with bin bags. It’s horrible.”
A representative for City of Edinburgh Council said that arrangements had been made for the bin stores to be cleared earlier this week with housing officers set to return for repair inspections and to speak with residents next week. They added that the broken lock on the bin store door will be repaired next week.