Petition launched to fight brown bin levy
A revolt is underway after a council started charging to take garden clippings away.
Furious residents already paying thousands in council tax say East Renfrewshire’s move is a step too far.
Now a petition launched by Barrhead man John Kennedy-Bennett has landed more than 200 names.
The £40 annual brown bin fee is being introduced at the start of next month and will give residents a weekly service.
It should have started last week but was delayed due to “glitches”.
The green levy could raise £800,000 for the council, which plans to create new jobs and buy a refuse truck with the cash.
It has been met with outcry by Ena McGuire, secretary of Barrhead Community Council, who said the charge was “unacceptable”.
Now independent councillor Paul Aitken has said he is opposing the charge and looking for a solution.
Petition organiser John KennedyBennett said:“This fee should be covered by your council tax and this is just another way of a failing council garnering more income from their constituency.
“There is on average 40,000 households in East Renfrewshire, if half of these households paid the £40 fee, this would generate a staggering £800,000. To pay for what?”
He is urging people to sign the petition on the change.org website.
John added: “Sign the petition to stop the introduction of this fee and make East Renfrewshire Council re-think.”
The charge could raise £800,000 for the council which it says will fund new jobs and a waste truck.
It was set to be rolled out from
Monday June 7, but is now from July 5.
The council has already warned bins won’t be lifted without the levy being paid and say people can drive their green waste to the recycling centre at Carlibar Road.
It said:“The current arrangements for garden waste provide a high number of weekly collections per annum compared with many other councils.
“However, the service comes under pressure during the summer months to maintain this level of service due to the sheer volume of garden waste produced.”