Staff at a building society in Bristol city centre are regularly having to clear up human faeces and drug needles left overnight in the entrance doorway. The disgusting mess, which poses a serious health risk to employees, has prompted Leeds Building Society to ask the city council’s planning department for permission to install roller shutters at its Wine Street branch.
The company’s agents said in planning documents: “The key driving factor for this proposal is that Leeds Building Society branch colleagues are frequently required to clean human waste (faeces and urine) and, on occasion, discarded needles and other drug related paraphernalia. Our prime concern is the health, safety and welfare of our colleagues, tenants and visitors to our locations and we feel that this proposal eliminates or considerably reduces the risk exposure that our colleagues are exposed to.
“The proposed roller shutter system would not adversely affect the amenity of the neighbouring retail units. The planned works are necessary, minor, appropriate.”
A Leeds Building Society spokesperson said: “Sadly our colleagues have regularly had to clean up very high levels of dirt and waste left in the doorway of the branch overnight. We’ve got to keep our property and colleagues safe and the shutters we hope to install will help us do that.”
No date has yet been set for the council to make a decision.
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