Centres to re-open
STEPHEN BARK
A day after South Lanarkshire Council hit out at brazen fly-tippers, it was announced that recycling centres will reopen from June 1.
The council was forced to clear a site on Blantyre Farm Road last Thursday, after persistent fly-tipping had gotten out of hand, so much so that 14 would-be fly-tippers continued to bring rubbish to the site.
Most were warned off by the sight of the council workers but one individual “even asked to put rubbish in our skip or they would just dump it elsewhere”.
The Reformer previously reported on numerous sites in Cambuslang that have been badly affected by locals dumping all sorts of rubbish at them.
Last week a group of Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors in South Lanarkshire all took to Facebook to post a message expressing their concerns about the amount of fly-tipping no takng place in the region.
Council leaders from across Scotland then met on Friday, May 15, to discuss the potential for reopening recycling centres to help combat the problem.
Councillor Steven Heddle, COSLA’s environment and economy spokesperson said that opening the centres back up would depend on the impact it would have on coronavirus infection rates and travel guidance from the Scottish Government.
He said: “Leaders agreed today (Friday) that local authorities will plan for the reopening of household waste recycling centres on June 1.
“The reopening of sites depends on receiving assurance that this will not negatively impact the Covid-19 infection rate and will be consistent with national travel advice.
“There will also be local considerations including the need to maintain physical distancing for staff and members and public which will determine whether and to what extent individual sites will be able to reopen.
“The intent behind this decision is to provide a level of coordination across Scotland, to avoid a disjointed approach which could lead to confusion, and to ensure access to household waste recycling sites is managed to best ensure the safety of both staff and the public.
“We are working closely with the Scottish Government and partners on this and are drawing up guidance.”
South Lanarkshire Council is now planning – alongside waste management contractor Viridor, which run five of the council’s six recycling centres – to reopen at the start of next month.
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “We can confirm that we are working towards re-opening local household waste and recycling centres on June 1.
“This follows a national agreement by all Scottish councils and is dependent on Scottish Government advice that it can be done safely.
“Throughout the closure period, the council has been working with Viridor, which runs five of the six South Lanarkshire sites, to plan temporary arrangements to keep users and staff safe when the sites re-open.
“We will now finalise and implement those arrangements, which will have to be significantly different from those that existed before the pandemic.
“These will include some restrictions on access to sites and operations within them.
“We anticipate long queues and significant delays, so we will be urging residents to consider if their visit is really necessary. Further details will follow.
“In the meantime, please keep any excess waste safe, and remember that fly-tipping is a criminal offence which carries substantial fines.
“We are all in this together – so please don’t make your rubbish your neighbours’ problem.”
Meanwhile, Clydesdale MSP Aileen Campbell has called on the support of the community across South Lanarkshire to crack down on it.
She said: “Now more than ever, we also have to responsibility for managing our waste during this period - that means keeping larger items at home until the centres re-open.”
For advice on how to deal with household waste under lockdown see the Zero Waste Scotland website – www.wasteless. zerowastescotland.org.uk/topics/ coronavirus