A Jesmond councillor has appealed to residents to keep bins out of back lanes, telling JesmondLocal the habit is partly responsible for costly clean-up fees across the suburb.

Many Jesmond residents don’t know that bins are only meant to be out in back lanes on bin day, and the mess that follows is costing the council money.

According to Jesmond Liberal Democrat councillor James Coles, it costs the council £150 to clean a back lane and £50 to decontaminate a bin.

On the second Saturday of every month, volunteers from the Keep Jesmond Clean committee get together to tackle the litter the area faces.

But beyond the community-led volunteer approach, as the latest intake of students has moved in, Coles is trying a new method to raise awareness.

“The community payback team is an initiative I started when I got elected. It’s essentially a team that’s sent out weekly to help clean up Jesmond,” Coles said. But he admits it isn’t enough on its own.

He added: “Our latest attempt at tackling this issue has been doing a root-and-stem approach, speaking to landlords and universities rather than to students.”

Coles said a large share of the problem comes from landlords not enforcing the rules, especially on bins. He believes this is a main cause of rubbish around Jesmond, and that if landlords made sure bins stayed in yards, it would make a huge difference.

Students say nobody has told them about the rules around where to keep bins. Erin Norris, a third-year student living in West Jesmond, said she and her housemates wasn’t aware of the rule.

“Everyone always leaves their bins out so we just thought that’s how it was supposed to be as no one’s ever told us any different,” she said.

The mess also affects local businesses. Alex Walker, owner of Awesome Frank’s, located in West Jesmond, said litter has been a real problem since the business opened outdoor seating.

“People have just been using the outdoor space as bins,” she said. “It’s not ideal, someone even ripped our planters out.”

She doesn’t believe students are the only ones responsible, despite Jesmond’s large student population.

“The littering certainly doesn’t help the business. I believe this particular part of Jesmond is more prone to littering compared to Acorn Road, where businesses probably band together to keep it clean.”

But Walker says having a business in Jesmond has its upsides. “Business has always thrived here in this area. Students do create a very vibrant environment, and it’s definitely not always just the students who are littering.”