Residents are furious that bins are continuing to overflow, with dozens of rats crawling around Churchill Place.

Leader of the council, Cllr Ken Rhatigan was forced to make an emergency visit to the site on Thursday, July 9 to find overflowing bins.

He spoke to his team and an emergency collection was made a day later.

Residents feel that there needs to be more bins installed on the premises as there are only 10 black bins and 10 blue bins on site, which are not enough to cater for 600 residents living in the flats.

A planning application was submitted by Seven Capital in February 2020 for new bins to be installed directly outside the flats.

Basingstoke Gazette: New bins will be installed directly outside Churchill Place flatsNew bins will be installed directly outside Churchill Place flats

To residents' dissatisfaction, the new bins were approved by the council, and they will be installed in the next few weeks.

But one resident is concerned that the new bins will take up "valuable parking space".

Resident, Heidi Nash, of Churchill Place, told The Gazette: "The bins smell awful after probably 24 hours of being collected.

Basingstoke Gazette: Heidi said the bins still smell awful after 24 hours of being collectedHeidi said the bins still smell awful after 24 hours of being collected

"Honestly it is the worst, it takes up valuable parking spaces and looks awful, the old place was much better for it and the next place is going to be worse.

"I cannot stress how much of an eyesore it is, how much it smells and more importantly how unhygienic it is.

"These are luxury flats that are attracting stray animals due to the rubbish."

Another resident was concerned about the impact the new bins would have on people living on the lower floors.

Basingstoke Gazette: Matthew is concerned about the impact the new bins will have on residents living on lower floorsMatthew is concerned about the impact the new bins will have on residents living on lower floors

Resident, Matthew Willson, of Churchill Place, said: "We’re becoming more and more worried for the residents on the lower floors as there was an issue with rats in the refuse room when it was in the car park, and I feel like bringing the bins so close to residents homes is going to escalate the problem."