Anger at garden waste bin charge
Residents slam council’s £25 fee for uplift
Residents have hit out at Perth and Kinross Council’s decision to introduce a £25 annual charge to empty householders’garden waste from brown-lidded bins.
The decision to introduce the charge from April 1 this year was taken almost a year ago at the local authority’s annual budget meeting, but there has been growing anger in Blairgowrie and Rattray as well as in other communities in the region at the decision.
Speaking at the most recent meeting of Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Council, held in Rattray Church Hall last month, one member of the public said: “The council has a dire cheek to ask us to pay £25 for uplifting the garden rubbish and ask volunteers to grit footpaths when they can sell the former Hill Primary School site for a £1.
“They must have an awful lot of money if they can afford to sell that site for £1.”
Public anger over the decision to reintroduce charges for uplifting garden waste resulted in a protest petition in the region receiving over 1300 signatures.
Responding to residents’ concerns, local Conservative councillor for Blairgowrie and Glens, Caroline Shiers, said: “I have huge sympathy with those who object to this proposed charge, and in opposition I voted against implementing these charges but they were passed by the then SNP administration supported by other groups.
“The Conservative group at the time proposed implementing a lower charge.
“Unfortunately now that we have seen a five per cent cut in real terms in our budget from the Scottish Government it is very unlikely we will be able to repeal these charges in order that we can maintain vital services.
“As a local councillor I know the whole range of essential services that we need to deliver to help those in our communities who depend on council services and tough decisions have to be made.
“Garden waste collection is not a statutory service but as an administration we hope to possibly extend the service if we are able in future years – but it will be a ‘charged’ service. This will assist in helping us maintain and develop future vital council services.
“I am disappointed that we are in this position but hope that we can work to deliver a good service to residents who will use the garden waste collection. Those who opt to just use their brown-lidded bin for food waste collection can still do so.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council added: “When the garden waste service was first introduced to householders in the late 1990s it was a chargeable service. It was not until 2004 due to funding through the Scottish Executive’s strategic waste fund that the service was able to be expanded and be offered free of charge to the majority of Perth and Kinross residents.
“In the current economic climate councils must make difficult financial decisions. It was agreed through the council’s budget setting process at full council on February 22, 2017, that a chargeable garden waste service will be re-introduced in Perth and Kinross from April 1, 2018.
“The council will be introducing an annual charge for the collection of garden waste presented in brown bins. Households will still be able to recycle all of their cooked and uncooked food waste in their brown bin free of charge.
“All households who receive a brown bin service will receive a letter in January advising them of the change to service, and how to register and pay for a garden waste permit.
“The annual charge for 2018/19 will be £25 per bin for all service users. Households can have a maximum of two bins per property and will be required to apply for a permit for each if they are both to be used for garden waste.
“Once this has been paid, the householder will receive their permit(s) which is to be attached to the bin to indicate to collection crews to uplift.”