**Newport Council Considers £100 Fines for Abandoned Shopping Trolleys Amid Growing Concerns**
Newport City Council is currently reviewing a new policy that would see supermarkets face a £100 fine for every shopping trolley discovered abandoned on public land. The proposal comes as residents and local representatives have increasingly raised alarms about the number of trolleys left scattered across various neighbourhoods, particularly in the Lliswerry area of the city.
The situation has escalated over recent months, with Lliswerry councillor Andrew Sterry highlighting the issue at a council meeting in March. He revealed that in the previous year alone he had reported more than 100 instances of abandoned trolleys, particularly those found dumped in drainage channels – known locally as reens – which pose significant flooding risks as well as being unsightly.
“Beyond being an eyesore, these abandoned trolleys contribute to blockages in our watercourses, heightening the risk of localised flooding and damaging the area’s image,” said Cllr Sterry. He urged the council to address the problem, pointing out that despite raising repeated concerns, the problem persisted with trolleys continuing to obstruct critical infrastructure.
Responding to these concerns, Newport City Council has announced that it is in the early stages of consulting on a new abandoned shopping trolley policy. Under the draft guidelines, council officers would be empowered to retrieve any trolley left on public property or highways. The collected trolleys would be stored for up to six weeks, during which time the council would attempt to locate and notify the owners – typically the supermarket chains or retailers responsible.
A key aspect of the proposal is a £100 per trolley fee that would be charged to the trolley’s owner upon retrieval. Council estimates indicate that the actual recovery and storage cost could range from £120 to £200 per trolley, making the proposed fine comparatively modest yet still designed to encourage retailers to better manage their assets.
If, after six weeks, a trolley remains unclaimed or its owner cannot be identified, the council would acquire ownership of the item, with a view to reselling or disposing of it as appropriate. The council notes that while some supermarkets already work with external agencies to retrieve lost trolleys, this is not proving sufficient to tackle the growing problem.
Whilst the proposed policy focuses mainly on public land, there is a provision allowing the council to act on private property at the request of the landowner. This flexibility is intended to ensure that the policy can be effective city-wide, even when trolleys end up on private estates or business premises.
Environmental and community impacts of abandoned trolleys are at the heart of the council’s concerns. In a recent statement, a spokesperson emphasised: “Abandoned shopping trolleys are having an increasing impact upon our local environment – making areas appear dilapidated, contributing to litter, anti-social behaviour, and even harming wildlife. They can also cause flood hazards in our waterways.”
Authorities hope the implementation of fines will prompt businesses to introduce robust measures, such as improved trolley management systems or anti-theft mechanisms, to prevent trolleys being taken off site and dumped in local communities. The council also believes that tackling the issue will not only enhance the local environment but also “increase residents’ satisfaction with the place where they live, and reduce waste, litter and anti-social behaviour associated with trolleys.”
The issue of abandoned shopping trolleys extends beyond Newport. In the neighbouring area of Cwmbran, it is reportedly common to see trolleys outside people’s homes, with some residents apparently ‘adopting’ them for personal use. This wider trend suggests the problem is not isolated to Newport alone, raising questions about broader responsibility and long-term solutions to this persistent issue.
The council is inviting feedback from residents as part of its ongoing consultation, seeking community input to help shape the final policy and ensure it meets the needs of all affected. As debate continues, Newport’s residents await to see whether the proposed fines will bring about the hoped-for improvements to their city’s streets and watercourses.