RUBBISH MOVE
Waste change‘ shameful’
Stirling councillors have voted in controversial plans to reduce bin collections to once a month.
The SNP/Labour administration showed support for the overhaul at a full council meeting yesterday (Tuesday).
Under the new plan, grey general waste and blue plastic bins will be emptied every four weeks - instead of every two weeks - and a £35 charge introduced for collection of garden waste.
Local residents and opposition councillors have reacted with fury to the move which has been introduced without public consultation.
Tory leader Neil Benny branded it “shameful” adding: “There was no justification for imposing a worse service and higher costs.”
But the administration say the moves are “essential to tackle climate change” and promised there will now be “significant communication” with residents.
Controversial changes to the area’s bin collections strategy have been given the thumbs up by councillors.
The cost-cutting proposals - which will see collection of the grey and blue bins be reduced from two-weekly to once a month and a £35 charge introduced for disposal of garden waste - were voted in at yesterday’s full council meeting.
But despite strong opposition from residents and opposition councillors, the council’s ruling SNP and Labour administration gained enough support to push it through by 12 votes to 10.
It means that Stirling will become only the second local authority in Scotland to go to a monthly collection for general waste alongside neighbouring Falkirk Council.
We told you on Friday that council officers were urging members to support an overhaul of the service to save £1.1million. This money will be used to fund new bins and bin lorries, officers say.
Speaking after reduced collections were approved, leader of the opposition party, Tory councillor Neil Benny hit out at a lack of consultation and said: “That will not be forgotten. All eight Scottish Conservative councillors voted against this.
“There was no justification for imposing a worse service and higher costs. Collecting the rubbish is a vital function of the council that everyone uses and we all rely on.
“People should expect it to be done properly, at the lowest possible cost and asked their views before changes are proposed. It is shameful that SNP and Labour councillors ignored both the official reports that stated these changes would be unfair and the outcry from those they were elected to represent.”
Under the new plans, the brown garden waste bin will become a food waste bin, unless the householder pays the fee for a garden waste permit which will then be attached to their bin.
For those who choose not to pay the charge, they will be asked to either compost garden waste at home or take it to a recycling centre. These changes will be implemented by next spring and the removal of stand-alone glass collection is proposed to be in place by 2022.
Opposition councillors had tabled an amendment which called for the overhaul to be rejected and called for a public consultation and a public health and environmental impact assessment.
But it was defeated by the administration motion in support of the changes.
SNP environment spokesperson Councillor Jim Thomson said there will extra support for those struggling as part of the new plans. He added: “The changes are challenging but an essential next step for us all to tackle climate change.
“Significant communication and engagement will take place with our residents across the Stirling Council area on how we will service those households.
“This would also ensure residents and council officers have the opportunity to consider any exceptional circumstances that may be faced by those households that have particularly challenging personal circumstances such as large families/households and those with medical conditions.
“We will also be devising and implementing a concession scheme to assist those who might otherwise be unable to afford a permit.”
Meanwhile, Labour’s environment spokesman Councillor Danny Gibson said it isn’t possible to please everyone.
He said “We will all have our own views on what the best arrangements should be,” and added: “However I also recognise that there is no ‘perfect’ waste and recycling system (all or in part) that will be universally welcomed by all of our residents.
“That is the situation facing Stirling Council in trying to make the best decisions we can and indeed that is the case for all councillors in all councils.”
Collecting rubbish is a vital function of the council that everyone uses and we all rely on