Tories call for waste collection audit

Waste collection services at Stirling Council should undergo a full external audit, say Tory councillors.

The Conservatives this week called for the audit and pledged to insist on an investigation into how the service is operating.

As reported in last Friday’s Observer, recent figures show that Stirling Council has the most expensive waste collection system in Scotland.

Opposition Tory councillors say that will increase in the coming years, despite having less frequent collections and a £35 per household charge imposed to collect garden waste.

They are continuing a relentless campaign against controversial changes to the bins service, including grey and blue bins now being collected four-weekly.

Now they have unearthed a freedom of information release from 2020 which showed that the service was overpaying for external contractors and overtime.

And they say, if they form an administration after the May 5 council elections, they will insist on a“full, externally-led audit of the service and an investigation into why this most fundamental of council services is not working for staff or the people that rely on it.”

Stirling East Conservative councillor Bryan Flannagan said:“the SNP may try to hide behind staff, but this is a clear failure of leadership.

“Their environment convenor has consistently failed to get to grips with this and hold managers to account.

“The failure to deal with this mess over the last five years is shameful. They have failed to do the hard work, listen to the frontline staff or invest in the right tools for them to do the job.

“Instead they have just cut the service for taxpayers.

“They are frankly not fit for office. Trying to blame the previous Labour led-administration for their failures as they keep trying to do won’t fool anyone.

“Scottish Conservatives would instigate a full independent review of this vital service immediately.”

Environment and housing convener Councillor Jim Thomson (SNP), however, said the Tories themselves were to blame for many of the issues.

“Once again, the Tories take no responsibility for their own actions,”said Councillorthomson.

“Councillor Benny [Tory group leader Neil Benny] seems to forget he was in charge of the finances in 2016 when he ignored officer advice to standardise the waste bin lifting arrangements.

“It ended up costing the council £650,000 per annum more, mainly in overtime costs. His scatter gun approach to this issue is bewildering. He didn’t need a Freedom of Information request. It was openly reported and discussed at various committees.

“Councillor Benny is also convener of the internal audit committee. What prevented him from carrying out an audit? Councillor Flannagan, meanwhile, seems to have forgotten that an all party working group, including his own party, was established to look at waste.

“It looked at route optimisation, standardisation and compliance with future legislation.”