Householders’ fury over new £30 brown bin collection fee

HOUSEHOLDERS who want their garden waste collected will have to pay £ 30.

Last Friday (February 24), the Highland Council announced via its facebook page that garden waste collections were due to start again on February 27. But from July 1 this year, there will be a £ 30 annual fee for uplifts.

The post has received hundreds of comments and shares, and The

Oban Times was also contacted by concerned residents.

Kate Brown, who lives in Lundavra Crescent, Fort William, said: ‘ When the brown bin scheme was introduced, it was advertised that the waste would be taken away and be composted then made available for purchase at a reduced rate so there were real benefits. I have been told this is no longer the case, that it is used to provide a cover for household waste at the landfill. Now, we find out we are going to be charged for the luxury of this scheme.

‘Everyone I speak to is up in arms about it. I know I will not be paying the council an extra £ 30 a year, especially when we have a three per cent tax increase. All this is going to do is encourage fly-tipping.’

Ms Brown also described the lack of detail about the change as ‘ridiculous’.

‘Can I opt out of this scheme?’, she asked, adding: ‘I have checked the website and can find nothing about this charge. We should have been sent a letter about this. I have been told the brown bins do not come under a statutory obligation so in that sense they can do what they want. It just seems dangerous. Now people could dump things which are poisonous or harmful and the clean-up job will no doubt be more than what it cost the council to begin with.’

The Oban Times put these questions to the Highland Council and a spokesperson responded that the brown bin collections are provided in larger centres of population – 67,00 households. Sutherland and Skye have no green waste collections at all and it is only Fort William which has a green waste collection in Lochaber. Further, the decision to make changes to the current scheme was part of the council’s budget meeting decisions and was agreed unanimously by councillors.

Councillor Allan Henderson said: ‘ The brown bin service which was originally promoted by the Scottish Government to drive down waste going to landfill was a successful, but divisive issue, with mostly only heavily populated areas receiving the service and rural areas not. On consulting the public, as the council needs to move towards being more commercial, it was made clear all householders should be given an option, but with a small charge for the service. On budget day this was agreed right across the chamber. Now, by starting this service as an optional one, householders have the opportunity to make a contribution towards a more carbon friendly Highlands.’

According to the council, details on the revised brown bin scheme will be made available in due course before the July change and in the meantime those with a brown bin can continue to use it free of charge.