Recycling centres deal is the ‘best that Angus can afford’.

Claim that report represents the best deal that county can afford

These plans see every single recycling centre saved, and there will be recycling provision in every single town in Angus

An 11th hour bid to keep general waste facilities at Carnoustie was thrown out by the ruling coalition of Angus Council yesterday.

Under proposals put forward by council officers, recycling centres in Arbroath, Forfar and Montrose will continue to accept general and recyclable rubbish.

However, the sites at Brechin, Carnoustie, Kirriemuir and Monifieth will only take recyclable waste.

Defending the proposals during a heated debate the communities convener, Independent councillor Mark Salmond, said: “We have already faced extremely challenging times and the financial picture going forward is no better. We have to accept radical redesigns of our services, and we have to challenge public expectation of what the council can and should do.

“Make no mistake, this waste management report represents the best deal that Angus can afford.

“We have been able to protect seven recycling centres and by increasing recycling rates, we can still obtain the vital savings we need to make.”

The proposals were backed by Forfar and District Conservative councillor Braden Davy, who said: “These plans see every single recycling centre saved, and there will be recycling provision in every single town in Angus.”

Opposition to the move was led by Carnoustie and District Independent councillor David Cheape, who argued that the cost benefit analysis by council officers was “purely hypothesis and assumption” and proposed an amendment to retain waste facilities.

The bid won the support of Montrose and District SNP councillor Bill Duff, who said: “We cannot take cavalier financial decisions.

“This paper is long on ambition but short on realism, and I am prepared to support the amendment.”

SNP and opposition members backed Mr Cheape but lost by 16 votes to 11.

A second amendment by Mr Cheape, which sought to retain general waste facilities at Carnoustie until 2020 to allow for a review of recycling rates, also won the support of opposition member.

Fellow Carnoustie councillor Mark Mcdonald (SNP) argued that the costneutral amendment could be a win-win for everyone in the chamber, but it was again defeated by 16 votes to 11.

The amendments were slammed by council leader and Independent councillor David Fairweather, who said: “I have never heard so much rubbish in my life, because the fact is that to retain seven recycling centres is a phenomenal achievement.”

The votes mean general waste will no longer be accepted at Brechin, Carnoustie, Kirriemuir and Monifieth from February.