Five bin plan for recycling
Trader claims the move is `stupid’
Stirling Council’s beleaguered waste collection service has been described as “completely broken”and “on its knees”.
Tory councillor Ross Oxburgh made the comments at a Stirling Council meeting on Thursday when he renwed his call for a scrutiny panel to be set up to tackle issues affecting the service.
A working group was established last October to examine the challenges in the department.
Councillor Ooxburgh, who is a member of the group, said while it had looked at the commercial collections service and city centre collections so far, it had delivered few outcomes other than establishing a new commercial collection model and issuing recycling sacks to households at the Top of theTown.
The council has been under fire ever since a new waste collection system and timetable were introduced over a year ago, including complaints that collection routes are not being completed on time, a shortage of vehicles, the introduction of solar powered ‘dalek’ bins, and a £494,000 overspend in the service.
Councillor Oxburgh said:“The staff are working extremely hard to get this service back on its feet and that should not be forgotten.
“I know the current working group was set up with the best of intentions but I do feel we need to bolster its role and remit to ensure we can provide a service we can all be proud of. This has to include proper consultation with our communities, including collection intervals, routes and collection days. We have always advocated cooperative working with all parties and remain committed to that.
“It has become abundantly clear that the waste service is on its knees and completely broken. The reasons for that are complicated and varied but it is time we got a grip on this.
“I know the working group was set up with the best of intentions and in good faith, but it is time now to admit it’s not going to be the best option for getting a grip on that service.”
Environment and housing convener Councillor Jim Thomson replied, however:“I disagree entirely with your comment. I think it’s an attack on the good officers that are doing a very good job under difficult circumstances.The working group was set up because we could see there were aspects that had to be dealt with and I believe we are on top of that.
“There have been working practice changes and I had a meeting with you [Councillor Oxburgh] to discuss the background to that.
“The short life working group was formed in November 2017 to primarily but not exclusively consider the current service provision.
“Following discussions at the working group, there has been a number of changes to work practices, intended to improve the delivery of the current service. A full update will be provided at the next environment and housing committee.
“Delivery models for domestic waste collection in the city centre and also the collection of commercial waste across the council area has been assessed and papers submitted and approved at the appropriate committees.
“The working group will continue to meet monthly to further consider improvements to the service and to discuss future delivery of waste services imposing a ban on biodegradable municipal waste to landfill, due to come into force in 2021.”
Firms who use Stirling Council to take away their waste are facing additional charges – and more bins.
Officials at the authority have indicated their intention to introduce a levy for taking away recycling – a move one trader has slammed as “stupid”.
Up until now, the council has imposed on business customers charges for removal of general waste but uplifted recyclables such as paper, cardboard, metal, glass and plastic for free.
However, letters have now gone out to firms explaining a full redesign of the commercial waste service was underway as the current set-up no longer met requirements.
It is proposed to bring in a chargeable five-bin service for recyclables similar to that used in the removal of domestic waste.
Most firms will have to find space for the extra bins and pay up to have their re- cycling taken away.
Officials hope aligning domestic and commercial collections will increase efficiency and flexibility for a waste services department which currently has a £494,000 overspend.
Included in the letter is a scale of charges for taking away recylables based on the size of bin used.
Charges per uplift of emptying a 240-litre box of plastics, cans and Tetra pak is £4.50, and £5.90 for a 1100-litre box.
Paper and cardboard removal also costs £4.50 per uplift for a 240-litre box, rising to £6.90 for a 1100-litre container, while firms face a charge of £7.20 for the emptying of a 120-litre box of `food and vegetation’ rising to £11.20 for a box twice that size.
General waste removal is to cost per uplift from £8.80 for a 240-litre container to £23 for an 110-litre box.
Council chiefs estimate there will be 996 bins subject to the commercial recycling charge including 160 belonging to charities.
Their spokesman said charge and collection schedules would not be changed until the new service was introduced, adding: “We have developed a new commercial recycling service to ensure the highest standards of service delivery as a tailored solution to each premises.
“The new commercial collection model provides a service whereby all customers will be offered increased capacity for recycling and charged a set amount for their collection service, based on size of bin and frequency of collection.”
Andrew Pemberton of Pemberton’s Sewing Machines hit out at the new arrangements, adding: “This is the latest stupid move from the council. We would need to find somewhere to put four wheelie bins and one food box and have to pay them just under £30 a week to collect our rubbish.
“As we have no off street area to keep them they would need to be left in the main street and if the 30 shops in Friars Street each had four bins then you would have 120 bins in one street.
“As the Observer has highlighted on many occasions, Stirling is like a tip which is mainly caused by the council demanding that businesses have their bins out by 8am in the morning which is when most are closed so the bins are left out overnight. The night time revellers and seagulls in return spread this all around the area leaving a mess for all to see.”
Environment convener Jim Thomson said the decision to charge for collection of commercial recycling had been approved by the finance committee .
He added: “If we could have avoided, we would and we are trying to combine it with the domestic service to keep the costs down.”
Conservative Group environment spokesperson Ross Oxburgh said: “There will be a number of questions to address and , as ever , communication will be vitally important and the service has to get better at that.”
We have developed a new commercial recycling service