Boaters on the canals around Bath say they are being “punished for the deeds of a minority” after their refuse facility was closed due to fly tipping — despite often being the ones cleaning up the mess.

People who live on the Kennet and Avon Canal discovered on March 5 that the bins at Bathampton would no longer be collected after March 11, with the Canal & Rivers Trust planning to remove the facility.

The trust said the site had become a “regular target for fly tipping and vandalism” but outraged boaters have been left wondering how they are supposed to dispose of their rubbish now.

Bath and North East Somerset Council and the Canal & Rivers Trust said, in a joint statement, that they were working together to resolve the situation. But council leader Kevin Guy, who is also the local councillor for Bathavon North, said in his capacity as local councillor that the trust had “failed both the Bathampton and boater communities.”

Over 350 people have signed a petition calling for the “much needed” facility to stay open. The petition states: “Permit holders and countless continuous cruisers have witnessed small vans emptying their waste at night.”

Boaters — many of whom bid higher prices for moorings near to the facility — have called for a roof and a lock on the bins enclosure for years. The petition stated: “These practices are common across the network, but for some reason CRT has chosen not to implement these changes in Bathampton. Instead, they have neglected them and allowed the problems to persist.”

Other boaters warned that losing access to the bins could make fly tipping worse, and that boaters would not face having to make long trips to dispose of their rubbish. The next closest bins on the canal are in Bath or at the Dundas basin, but boaters have warned they are already too full and too far to travel to with rubbish. Another nearby facility in Darlington Wharf was closed years ago.

Mr Guy said: “As ward councillor, I have worked closely with all parties to address the valid health and safety concerns connected with this mini refuse site.

“However after years of negotiations it is apparent to all parties that the Canal & Rivers Trust have failed to manage this site appropriately. They have repeatedly failed to address the concerns of the parish council, residents, and the boater community.

The council and trust said: “Both the Canal & Rivers Trust and Bath and North East Somerset Council are working together to try and resolve this issue which has to balance the needs of boaters, the Bathampton community and the environment.

“The Trust is responsible for the management of the bins which are on council-owned land. Sadly the site has become a regular target for fly-tipping and other vandalism. The Trust is looking at alternative solutions including improvements to increase capacity and security at the nearby Dundas refuse facility.”