The battle of the bins
Edinburgh residents’ fury as seagull-proof bags replaced with permanent refuse sites
IT IS a stunning part of a beautiful city and the residents are rightly proud of its Unesco World Heritage status.
But an unseemly row has broken out after locals in Edinburgh’s New Town were told large communal bins were to be installed.
A community group has sought legal advice and says the bins will spoil the appearance of the protected streets, which are in the city council’s conservation area.
Residents have also complained they were not properly consulted, after the decision was approved at a council meeting this year.
At present, kerbside collection is in place for waste and recycling in the area, with several streets using seagull-proof bags to store rubbish.
But the new system, part of a city-wide review, will see the sacks removed and bin hubs installed within 55 yards (50 metres) of every household. New Town and Broughton Community
Council (NTBCC) is spearheading a campaign to oppose the rollout. It includes plans for a GoFundMe page to cover legal fees, which it says could reach £90,000 if the matter goes to a judicial review.
Carol Nimmo, a New Town resident and chairman of NTBCC, said the existing system works well. She added: ‘The proposals for the hubs would be a nightmare. We have a fantastic system for a World Heritage Site. People are shocked over this decision.
‘Residents of the New Town are its custodians, are proud to be part of it and take care of it – that’s what is part of the World Heritage status, that the New Town is so intact.
‘It hasn’t been Disney-fied or done up, it’s been loved and protected and the communal hubs will alter that because they are permanent structures.
‘This is in Edinburgh’s front yard, we’re doing it for the city. We are just trying to protect and conserve.
‘We have taken legal advice and will contest as forcibly as we can.’
Other concerns include an increase in fly tipping, as well as bin hubs taking up scarce parking spaces.
Resident David Scott, a retired engineer, said: ‘You should not change something that works.
‘The bins look good in pictures, but they never get looked after. They become unhygienic, they become smelly and they are abused by the public.
‘The segregation of waste and recycling is not respected.’
He added there was ‘a lot of dissatisfaction’ with the council and its ‘refusal’ to engage with residents prior to the decision.
Conservative councillor Joanna Mowat accused the council of ‘high handed’ decision-making.
‘The most disappointing part is that engagement was promised,’ she said.
‘It did not happen, probably because of the pandemic, but they chose to proceed anyway. It just breeds mistrust of the council.
‘If they make the decision without any consultation, then their position is fundamentally weak.
‘It believes it has good reason but it has not got the courage of its conviction to go out and speak to people. Instead it has taken a highhanded decision.’
City of Edinburgh Council defended its decision and said it was in the process of carrying out engagement ahead of the rollout, including with Edinburgh World Heritage to ‘minimise any impact’.
Environment vice-convener councillor Karen Doran said the bin hubs ‘make recycling easier’, adding that it also increases the city’s recycling performance to meet ambitious zero-waste goals.
She said: ‘The hubs provide increased capacity, a more reliable service and reduce overflowing bins and street clutter, as well as making our waste and recycling operations safer for our staff.
‘Bringing the different bin facilities into one location will help minimise any impact on parking spaces.’
‘You should not change what works’