A councillor warned residents' gardens are becoming council bin stores as he called for underground rubbish containers to be considered instead.
West Lothian Council’s purchase of 90,000 plastic bins “blows the myth” that it is concerned about the environment according to Councillor Frank Anderson.
The SNP depute group leader made the comments in a debate at the recent council executive about a pilot project on underground refuse systems (URS).
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The councillor had won agreement for a report into a pilot scheme for Craigshill on systems widely in use on the continent where rubbish is collected in large underground storage containers serving blocks of flats.
But a report by council officers pointed out that a pilot project would cost more than £1 million to set up and would serve only 569 properties in Livingston's Craigshill.
The bulk of the cost would be swallowed up installing the 99 underground bunkers needed to cover the 569 flats at 33 locations, as well as buying a specialist bin lorry with a lifting crane costing more than £250,000 to empty them
It added: “The costs of running a pilot scheme are excessively high and are primarily due to the capital costs of purchasing and installing the underground bins. It is not possible to depreciate capital costs over multiple years when running a pilot, all costs must be accounted for during the timescale of the pilot.”
The report added: “ Underground refuse systems are a practical way to improve the visual impact of waste on a neighbourhood and can encourage positive behaviours in residents when implemented effectively, however the capital costs are prohibitively expensive.
“Enhanced above ground provision offers a far more cost-effective approach to improving recycling and can be delivered through funding of £964,000 recently secured from Zero Waste Scotland.”
This money will cover the costs of supplying additional bins to all flatted properties in the county, as well as the building of 93 above ground bin stores along with signage etc.
Councillor Anderson said that there were many streets in Craigshill where bins were left in the street because people had nowhere to store them. Adding extra bins would only make the problem worse, he said.
He added: “I have never read a report that is so biased against doing something. We asked for a pilot scheme for some forward thinking.
“Instead, this administration has decided to fritter away the money in buying another 90,000 plastic bins for distribution to residents. There has been no consultation with residents and virtually nobody has the capacity to store these bins. Many gardens, which used to be an asset are becoming nothing more than a bin store for the council. I fear many of these bins will be left at the kerbside.
“What kind of example are we setting? This blows the myth that we are concerned about the environment.”
The council has funding of £4 million to develop over ground bin stores for extra bins and also to develop twin stream recycling. It conceded that underground refuse systems could be developed in new build housing, with developer contribution funding but this would require a change in council policy.
Some schemes have been developed which retro-fit URS projects, such as in Liverpool where there are areas of densely packed Victorian housing. This will replace individual wheeled bins in rear access alleyways, improving the quality of streetscape. This is part of a wider regeneration project aimed at tackling blighted neighbourhoods.
