Ashford Borough Council completes refurbishment and rebranding of community amnesty bins

Ashford Borough Council's Community Safety Unit has completed the refurbishment and rebranding of the borough's knife bins as part of an ongoing commitment to improving community safety.

The bins have been renamed ‘amnesty bins’ to better reflect their wider purpose. While they continue to provide a safe and anonymous way for residents to dispose of knives, they can also be used to surrender other weapons and potentially harmful items, such as catapults and blunt objects which could be used to cause harm.

The council wishes to emphasise that the location of an amnesty bin should not be viewed as an indication of knife crime in that area. The changes form part of a borough-wide review to improve the accessibility, appearance and effectiveness of the existing provision.

As part of the project, the amnesty bin previously located at Park Mall Shopping Centre has been relocated to Court Wurtin, while a new bin has been installed on Station Road in Tenterden following partnership work with Tenterden Town Council and Kent Police. 

The council has also secured an additional bin, which will be retained in storage to provide resilience in the event of damage or to support future requests for new locations.

The refurbishment and installation programme has been delivered with support from Aspire and Kent Police.

Councillor Katrina Giles, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Health at Ashford Borough Council, said:

"These refurbished amnesty bins provide residents with a safe, secure and anonymous way to surrender knives and other weapons. The project demonstrates our continued commitment to reducing the risk of harm within our communities and making Ashford a safer place for everyone.

"I would like to thank Aspire and Kent Police for their invaluable support in helping us deliver this important initiative."

Our Community Safety Unit will continue to monitor the condition of the amnesty bins and carry out maintenance as required.

Ashford Borough Council would like to extend its thanks to Aspire for its significant contribution of time and materials, and to the Community Safety Unit at Ashford Police Station for its continued assistance throughout the project.

Amnesty Bin Locations

Dover Place Car Park, Dover Place, Ashford, TN23 1HU
What3Words: ///charmingly.intent.stop

Bockhanger Court, Belmont Road, Kennington, Ashford, TN24 9JJ
What3Words: ///cling.boat.cattle

Otterden Close, Ashford, TN23 5GH
What3Words: ///island.blend.spit

Court Wurtin, Beaver Lane, Ashford, TN23 5NH
What3Words: ///trader.stews.basic

Tenterden toilets, 5 Station Rd, Tenterden TN30 6HN
What3Words: ///highbrow.rocket.resides

For any further queries on the community amnesty bins, contact our Community Safety Unit via csu@ashford.gov.uk.