Overflowing bins, rats, and filth—Selly Oak’s student streets turn into a disgusting wasteland amid strike

Selly Oak’s streets have become an eyesore, with overflowing rubbish, festering waste, and dead rats rotting on pavements. As Birmingham’s bin workers escalate their strike to an indefinite walkout, furious students describe their neighbourhood as “disgusting” and “embarrassing.”

For months, bin workers have staged intermittent strikes over pay disputes and role changes. On Tuesday, they took their protest to the next level, walking out indefinitely. The impact has been immediate and devastating.

Rats, Rot, and Rancid Smells

Joe Thompson, a resident of Rookery Road, described the dire conditions: “You walk down the streets here, and it’s disgusting.” Bins stand crammed beyond capacity, waste spills onto pavements, and the stench of rotting food lingers in the air.

University students, who already struggle with cramped, multi-tenant housing, say the crisis is unbearable. Chloe Jones, who studies international relations, painted a grim picture of Selly Oak’s streets: “There’s lots of rats—there’s literally a dead rat outside our house.”

The rubbish problem has hit student areas particularly hard. Large households, where multiple people cook separate meals, generate more waste than a typical family home. Without cars to take rubbish to a tip, they are entirely dependent on council collections—collections that have ground to a halt.

The Row Over Pay and Safety

At the centre of the crisis is a dispute between Birmingham City Council and Unite, the union representing the striking workers. The council insists it has made a “fair and reasonable” offer, but Unite strongly disagrees.

The flashpoint in the dispute is the council’s decision to scrap the Waste Recycling and Collection Officer (WRCO) role. Unite argues that removing this position will lead to pay cuts and make the job less safe. However, the council’s strategic director of city operations, Craig Cooper, dismisses these concerns. He claims that health and safety are the responsibility of all employees, not just one specific role.

The stand-off has left the city in turmoil, with streets in student-heavy areas like Selly Oak among the hardest hit.

No Bins, No Space—No Way Out

The overflowing bins don’t just make the streets unbearable—they are now filling up student homes, with no space left to store waste.

Joshua Kemp, a sports science student, explained the grim reality: “It’s not just the fact that litter’s going all over streets—it’s because we’ve got no bins to put it in. Our houses are filling up with rubbish as well.”

Recycling collections, in particular, have been delayed, making an already bad situation even worse.

Embarrassment and Frustration Boil Over

Students say the filth is not just a nuisance—it’s a source of humiliation. Ella Teale, who studies sport, health, and exercise sciences, expressed her frustration: “It’s actually quite embarrassing if my friends come and visit from other unis, and they have to see what state we’re living in.”

During a visit by BBC reporters, the scale of the issue became clear. A dead rat was spotted on the corner of Alton Road and St Edwards Road—grim evidence of the unhygienic conditions now plaguing the area.

Despite the outcry, the council remains unmoved, insisting that consultations have been ongoing since last autumn. As the strike drags on, students and residents are left to wade through filth, their streets resembling a rubbish dump.

Whether the council and the bin workers can reach a compromise remains to be seen. But until they do, Birmingham’s student district will remain a foul, rat-infested disaster zone.

BIRMINGHAM LIVE

Birmingham’s bin strike is intensifying, with rising tensions between Unite and the Labour-run city council. A depot worker was struck by an object, though it’s unclear who was responsible. The council accuses strikers of blocking bin trucks, worsening disruption, while Unite rejects claims of intimidation.

This dispute stems from the council’s decision to scrap a senior bin crew role, affecting 170 workers. With no deal in sight and police now monitoring picket lines, the situation is escalating. The council insists it has “nothing left to offer,” but critics argue its financial mismanagement has left services in chaos.

Residents are caught in the middle, facing growing waste problems. If the strike continues, it could become another high-profile failure for both the council and Labour nationally, reinforcing concerns about their handling of public services. The longer this drags on, the worse the political and public fallout will be.

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE LIVE

Birmingham’s bin strike has escalated into a public health crisis, with MP Preet Gill warning of a looming “plague of rats and cockroaches.” Overflowing waste has clogged streets, prompting urgent calls for intervention.

The strike, triggered by the council’s plan to scrap the Waste Reduction and Collection Officer role, has left the city paralysed. Unite defends the walkout, insisting the role is “safety-critical,” while the Labour-run council claims financial constraints limit its options.

Former mayor Andy Street slammed the situation, stating Birmingham’s image is “in the mud again.” Residents, meanwhile, face worsening conditions, with some areas reportedly impassable due to piled-up rubbish.

With no resolution in sight and the council battling a £150 million budget shortfall, the crisis threatens to further damage Labour’s reputation on public services. If left unresolved, it could become a national embarrassment.