Anger after grit bins found full of rubbish
Containers stuffed with bottles and dog waste
LynnLynnJollyJolly
lynn.lynn.jolly@jolly@reachplc.trinitymirror.comcom Reporters Reporters
AlisonGavin RennieMcInally
alison.rennie@reachplc.com gavin.mcinally@trinitymirror.com
ChrisRonMoore Taylor
chris.taylor@reachplc.com ron.moore@trinitymirror.com
DavidDavidCampbellCampbell
david.campbell01@reachplc..com david.campbell01@trinitymirror.com
Sport Localcraig.Democracyritchie@trinitymirror.Reportercom jack.thomson@reachplc.com
Lynsey Gair
Advertising
JACK THOMSON
LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTER
Paisley residents can’t grit their streets because bins are packed with frozen salt and rubbish, a councillor has warned.
Councillor Karen Kennedy has been left fuming by the state of grit bins in her ward, with one in Galloway Avenue littered with dog waste bags and glass bottles.
The elected member said the problem is prevalent in other areas in Paisley, such as Blackhall Street, Barterholm Road and Braehead Road, and called on Renfrewshire Council to act.
She said: “People are coming out to do their bit and can’t even use the grit because it’s frozen solid and the container is full of rubbish.
“Grit bins are full of rubbish and dog waste bags.”
The Paisley Northwest representative claimed council officers told her it wasn’t their job to clean out grit bins..
She added: “A council officer actually said to me it’s not their responsibility to go and clean them out. “It’s unbelievable. “I’ve asked for it to be emptied and I’ve been told it’s not their job. It’s the residents that are dumping the stuff that should empty it. But if they’re dumping it, they’re not going to come back and pick it up.
“I’m being told residents just need to dig through that to get to the soft stuff at the bottom but there’s no way.
“Especially the young girl that phoned me. “She’s got a young family. “She’s not going to come out with a shovel and dig through that to get grit, so they just won’t bother.”
There are 540 regular grit bins in Renfrewshire – 140 more than last winter – and 20 large community grit bins.
But Councillor Kennedy is concerned that they could Glasgow Airport’s boss joined colleagues in the Sleep in the Park event at the weekend.
A team of 16 workers from Paisley’s airport attended one of four gatherings taking place across the country to help tackle homelessness.
More than 12,000 people attended sleep out events across Scotland with the team from Abbotsinch joining others at Kelvingrove Park. Derek Provan, become unusable if the council does not maintain them properly.
She said: “I think in this day and age everyone wants to do their bit but if they’ve not got the resources to do it, then they won’t. The weather’s only going to get worse.
“These grit bins should be getting emptied and refilled but it’s December and they’re lying like that.”
Renfrewshire Council said it will arrange for the litter in Galloway Avenue to be cleared.
A spokesman said: “It’s disappointing that this grit bin has been used for litter and we will arrange for this to be cleared CEO of AGS Airports Ltd, which owns Glasgow Airport, said it was the least they could do to help tackle the scourge of destitution.
He said: “In 2018, and in this country, it shouldn’t be an issue we have to address, but it is.
“Last year’s inaugural Sleep in the Park event in Edinburgh not only raised an outstanding £ 4 million to help support a number of very worthy projects, it also sent out a very powerful as soon as possible, now that it has been reported.
“There are 540 grit bins available for the community to use throughout the winter, which will be refilled as often as possible and we would encourage residents to use these to keep their paths clear during cold weather.
“We are also providing 20 large grit bins in rural areas this winter to give extra capacity to those in harder to reach communities.
“This all forms part of our # RenReady campaign, which encourages winter preparedness across Renfrewshire, from the council and its residents.”
People are coming out to do their bit but can’t use the grit because it is frozen solid
message calling for an end to homelessness in Scotland.
“My colleagues and I wanted to show our support for homeless people across the country.
“Granted it is only a small gesture, but one that will raised much-need funds and also help us to better understand the hardships those less fortunate than ourselves experience day in, day out.”