PLASTIC hedging is being used to spruce up the view around unsightly bins near a school.

Green artificial hedging has been installed by Denbighshire County Council outside Ruthin Leisure Centre, which neighbours secondary school Ysgol Brynhyfryd and bus stops used by pupils.

Denbighshire said the 'faux' hedging is being used to hide the large wheelie bins, situated at the junction exit of the leisure centre car park, to “dress it with greenery as it was an eyesore”.

Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Ruthin county councillor, said the faux hedging is a better view than the bins and “ensures that children are protected from diseases caused by waste”.

Huw Williams, Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd county councillor, also gave the artificial decoration his nod of approval.

"The community council like the hedging so much that they are considering using it outside Llanbedr Village Hall," he said.

An employee of the county council, who did not want to be named, described the hedging as a "waste of public finances".

They added: "There are potholes in car park and roads and with a lack of social housing, surely there are better things to spend on?

"I believe this is being done at other sites in Denbighshire too."

A spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council said: “This is not new fencing. This section of land has been used as a bin store and has always been at that location.

"All the Council has done is dress it with greenery as it was an eyesore. It does not remove any visibility and the bins and fence that sit behind it have not moved.

"Even without the greenery, people would still be looking at large wheelie bins and a fence and it sits quite far back away from the junction.

"The fencing and greenery has been there for quite some time and no concerns or complaints have come in from anywhere."