Row erupts over city brown bin charges

Plans to reintroduce a £30 charge for garden waste collection in Aberdeen have been branded “outrageous” by opposition councillors.

The local authority yesterday announced applications were open for permits for next year, which will be needed from next month.

The move comes despite waste collections being significantly reduced during the lockdown, which meant that people who had paid the levy did not receive the service they signed up for.

The permits – often branded a “garden tax” - allow up to two bins to be collected per household, and will need to be renewed in August regardless of when they were purchased in the last year.

Last month administration leaders voted not to issue refunds for any council services that had not been delivered during the coronavirus crisis as it looked to find £10 million in savings.

Liberal Democrat group leader Ian Yuill last night said it was “outrageous” that people had been charged despite not receiving a full service.

Mr Yuill has called for collections to continue without the need for new permits, or for refunds to be issued.

However, council coleader Jenny Laing has accused the Lib Dem group leader of “sheer hypocrisy”.

Councillor Ian Yuill