Recycling cycles
Looking for a bargain bike or a good quality second-hand bicycle? Winchester City Council has recently donated 20 used bicycles to Winchester charity Emmaus to be given a new lease of life.
The Council regularly receives reports of abandoned bikes. A few weeks ago, councillors approved a clear policy to ensure that these do not become unsightly or take up valuable cycle parking.
Reported abandoned bicycles are labelled with a notice giving the owner a minimum of two weeks to remove the bicycle. If the bike is still in situ after this, it is removed and stored in the City Council depot for three months. If it still isn’t claimed, the bicycle can then be disposed of. Bikes which are in a reasonable condition are offered to local charities for reconditioning and selling on, whilst others may need to be recycled.
Following the adoption of the policy, the Council’s Streetcare Team delivered 20 abandoned bikes that had been held at their depot to Emmaus. The proceeds generated from the sale of these 20 bikes will help Emmaus with its work to provide a home and meaningful work to its 26 residents.
There are two local Emmaus Hampshire shops, both selling donated second-hand goods. One of the shops is at Emmaus Community at Bar End, Winchester, while a second has been opened in Leigh Road, Eastleigh.
Cllr Frank Pearson, the Council’s Portfolio Holder for Environment, Health and Wellbeing, said:
This year’s corporate campaign for the City Council is The Great Waste. We are encouraging residents and businesses to think differently about waste, and to reduce the amount they generate. We are also thinking about the best way to deal with our own waste: this policy on abandoned bicycles will ensure that many bikes which might once have been scrapped will be given a new lease of life – and will help someone who has experience homelessness or social exclusion in the process.
Winchester City Council is working in partnership with Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC) to deliver the Great Waste project which will run until March 2016.