Recycling centre cuts spark fly-tipping fears

Apr 17 2009 by Edwin Lawrence

Recycling centre cuts spark fly-tipping fears

DIRTIEST streets. Worst roads. That’s two unwanted Scottish titles South Ayrshire has been handed.

Now the council is in danger of completing a hat trick, says a respected community councillor.

Most polluted countryside. That’s what Alex Kelly fears – and he reckons South Ayrshire Council policies could prompt such a calamity.

Mr Kelly said: “I was shocked to see a sign up at our recycling centre in Maybole, saying it would no longer open on Mondays.

“Other weekday opening hours have been cut back from 8pm to 6pm – making it very difficult for working people to take large items to the skips there.”

Mr Kelly blasted: “When you couple these reduced hours with South Ayrshire’s new £20 minimum charge for special uplifts, I think we’re going to find that more and more rubbish is just dumped somewhere.

“And South Ayrshire council tax payers will have to pick up an even bigger tab for removing stuff from lay-bys and the countryside.

“I see the council’s estimated saving for reduced hours is £50,000. I just think it’s a complete false economy.

“It will cost a fortune to deal with increased fly-tipping that the council will now cause.”

Councillor Peter Convery has special responsibility for environmental issues in South Ayrshire.

He said: “I can understand Mr Kelly’s concerns, and I can assure him the council will remain vigilant about fly-tipping.

“The reduced hours came after a review of the service, showing Monday as the quietest day.

“And the £50,000 saving is part of a larger £140,000 saving in waste management.

“It could have been a bigger saving, but we have kept money aside to deal with fly-tipping.”

Councillor Convery said the council also had to take the Euro working time directive into the equation.

He said: “We now have a more efficient use of workers’ time, and the recycling centres will remain open at the busiest times.”

Councillor Convery conceded the council’s shortcomings have been well highlighted.

But he pointed out: “Waste management is one of our strengths, and we’re consistently in the top three in Scotland.

“I can assure Mr Kelly we will monitor the situation, so we don’t end up with a fly-tipping problem.”