A “much needed” refuse facility for boaters on the Kennet and Avon canal will remain open after bosses came to an agreement.

The Canal & River Trust bins in Bathampton had been set to close in March after they became a fly tipping hotspot and Bath and North East Somerset Council told the trust to close the facility. Boaters who rely on the facility said they were being “punished for the deeds of a minority” and more than 540 people signed a petition to keep them open. 

But now the trust and council have come to an agreement for them to stay.

Mark Evans, regional director of the Canal & River Trust, said: “I’m grateful that, with additional measures to manage the site, including increasing frequency of collections, the council has agreed for us to keep the bin store open.

“The possibility of relocating the bins nearby is something that we’ll continue to consider in the longer term subject to local consultation.”

People who live on the canal in Bathampton rely on the bins to dispose of waste. The next closest bins are in Bath or at the Dundas Basin.

The bins are run by the Canal & River Trust but are located on land owned by Bath and North East Somerset Council.