A picturesque town often lauded as King Charles’s “ideal town” has residents up in arms, likened to a “Third World” country with rampant rats.
Poundbury, the scenic extension to Dorchester in Dorset, has been embroiled in controversy amid disputes over rubbish collection services with the local council, The Telegraph reports.
Frustrated locals have complained of overflowing bins attracting rodents. Despite this, Dorset Council claims that the bins are “often contaminated” by non-recyclable items.
Distressed over the conditions, one resident remarked: “The King would be horrified. It’s like a Third World country, and it’s like this every week.”
Another added their voice, saying: “There are rats everywhere and the smell is awful. No one seems to be bothered.”
Owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, Poundbury embodies core principles “advocated” by King Charles in his work ‘A Vision of Britain’, notes the Duchy of Cornwall’s website.
The site details four main pillars reflected in the town’s design: architecture that captures “beauty”, “character and identity”; provision of affordable housing; a commitment to mixed-use development; and the creation of a walkable community.
King Charles, known for his outspoken views on architecture, favours traditional designs and has left his mark on several UK projects.
His architectural philosophies were notably broadcast in the 1989 BBC documentary ‘HRH Prince Of Wales: A Vision Of Britain’, which laid out the groundwork for Poundbury’s principles and was subsequently published as a book.
The monarch put his architectural vision to the test with this town, capitalising on its location to dictate its design. By 2022, the town boasted over 4,000 residents, with one local describing it as a new town with an “old-school village feel”, while another appreciated that “everything is within walking distance”.
King Charles, in discussing Poundbury, shared that he was “determined to create an attractive place for people to live, work and play”.
Addressing the current waste disposal concerns, a Dorset council spokesperson remarked: “Waste collections have been infrequent here as the communal recycling bins are often contaminated with unrecyclable material.”
Furthermore, they explained that they would not collect from recycling bins containing “large amounts” of the “wrong materials”, highlighting that such “contamination” incurs “higher disposal costs” for taxpayers and harms the environment.