AN ongoing dispute, regarding the overflowing bins at Boots Opticians in the passageway from Central car park to the Borough, may finally be laid to rest.

Addressing council members during a full council earlier this month the Mayor of Farnham, John Ward, said: “During my time as leader, I was determined to get rid of those bins in the alley way and I failed completely.

“So I took it on further and I am pleased to tell you that it looks like action is coming. Notices are being issued to the owners of those bins to take them away or else.”

Councillors have been fighting to solve the problem since 2007. The alley way has regularly been labelled as “unsightly” and a “health hazard”, and that everything comes out of them including dirty nappies.

According to town clerk Iain Lynch, the town council received information that Waverley Borough Council is taking appropriate action.

“Waverley has issued notices to the individual businesses, basically to deal with the problem and how it’s had a detrimental affect on the quality of life in Farnham,” said Mr Lynch.

“I think this is a really important step forward, because it does show businesses that all those encouraging efforts to be made over the years, which have been ignored, are now being dealt with seriously, to the effect that they’re being given the opportunity to pay a fine if they don’t wish to co-operate.

“So it is just a shift change in mentality with some of the businesses, which will help deal with the problem.

“A copy of this community protection notice has been circulated to the owner of Boots Opticians and individual businesses placing their bins on that piece of land.”

Council leader Carole Cockburn wanted to acknowledge and give credit to Matt Nicholls from Waverley Borough Council, for this news was in her words “the direct result of his actions”.

Jeremy Ricketts, brought to members’ attention the hard work put in by staff at Boots Opticians in their attempts to tidy the troublesome area.

“Don’t expect the problem to be solved overnight. It’s an important step forward. It does bring a resolution two or three steps closer but we need to work alongside Waverley and others to try and find a satisfactory resolution,” he concluded.