I chatted with the guy emptying our bins this morning (doing it all by himself!), and he said the Council and unions are in discussions about the bin lorries not going down the back lanes from the end of September!!! He had no idea what arrangements would be put in place instead. Has anyone else heard anything like this? Has the Society got a contact in the Council to check this out? đ©
Society Update 21 Sep 2021
We made some enquiries. The following statement has been received from the City Council.
âWe are currently reviewing all collection routes across the city, particular attention will be given to properties where the bins are presented to lanes.
This is to assess the bin presentation areas to confirm they are safe for our refuse vehicles and staff. Where issues are identified, control measures will be put in place to reduce the risks.
These measures could be advising residents to present their bins to the end of the lane or at the front of the property.
As yet there has been no decision made however once recommendations have been made, we will consider the alternatives and engage with elected members and residents affected before any changes are implemented.”
The Strathbungo Society has asked what assessments have been made of the hazards that this will produce, particularly in the Squares, with their narrow width and parking hazards, or how the measures will affect elderly or disabled residents. We await a council response.
It is also worth noting this issue has been raised by the council several times over the last 20 years, but nothing has yet come of it.
Society Update 6 Oct 2021
A further clarification was sent by the Council to the Society:
What I mean is that there are assessments done city wide, whenever required. This could be due to the change in the conditions of a lane, resulting in it not being accessible for the workforce. Possibly the underfoot conditions have become slippery, very uneven or inaccessible due to overgrown foliage etc. These are a few examples of why the assessment would be carried out. This does not mean that the service would be withdrawn. It may mean that work is required to ensure the health and safety of our teams. If there is a concern raised by a team, the area would be assessed an relevant information would be passed to whoever it relates to. I do not have any timelines on this as yet. When I say âeach property is assessed on its own rightâ I mean each lane is assessed in its own right and any remedial works needed would be the responsibility of the residents/ owners in each property with a share of ownership of that lane.
The Society has invited a Council representative to the AGM on 16 November 2021.
I will pass this information on so that we can find out what is going on. In the meantime, you could always raise it with Cllr Anna Richardson (City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction); she’s taken up cleansing issues in the past and indeed was the person who announced the new schedule for green bin collection.
Ignore that. âIn discussionsâ doesnât mean much. What would be the alternative for those of us who donât have direct access to where our bins are. ? It doesnât make sense.
I have updated the article with the response we received from the council.
Our bins in Regent Park Square Lane have not been emptied for several weeks. I put photos of this and the general dereliction of the lane – flytipping, strewn bin bags, broken glass, dead rats – on Twitter, tagging all our councillors and GCC for a repsonse. Jon Molyneux and David Meikle responded. Jon kindly sent me an email of correspondence with council employees as follows –
“We are now in the process of the recovery plan and arrangements have been made to service all bins on the next collection dates along with any excess waste presented next to the bins for these affected properties. This however would not include bulk items that should be reported through the bulk uplift process which is a chargeable service.
I met with a member of the Strathbungo Society a number of weeks back to discuss the lanes. I informed them that Glasgow City Council cannot collect these items from the back lane as fly tipping as the lanes are privately owned. There was an offer of one time assistance, where Glasgow City Council would supply a skip free of charge to allow the owners/residents clear out the lane. No one has come back to accept that offer. The member of the society was to discuss this option and get back to me with a decision. The responsibility of privately owned lanes lies with the owners of the properties or the factors. Â
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I trust this information is helpful to you. Â
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With Thanks
Joyce MacDonald
Neighbourhood Coordinator
Neighbourhoods, Regeneration and Sustainability
Glasgow City Council”
Also this –
“Dear Joyce and MLUÂ
Please see below Twitter feed regarding the current state of the back lanes in Strathbungo. I would ask that you address the issues contained within.
https://twitter.com/maymilesthomas/status/1463465624634630151?s=21
I refer to the minutes attached of the Environment, Sustainability and Carbon Reduction City Policy Committee of October 5th 2021.
In particular I draw your attention to Item 9 points (e) and (f) and would ask that these are given effect to in this area. point (e) : that officers would explore the feasibility of an expansion to the free uplifts currently offered to support community-led clean-ups undertaken by Neighbourhood Improvement Volunteers; and point (f): the introduction of a pilot project, which would be rolled out offering a âpaid forâ service for the removal of fly-tipped items from lanes.”
With kind regards
Kimberley on behalf of Cllr Jon Molyneux
Kimberley Kime
Support Officer
Members Support Services
Chief Executives Department
Room 94, 3rd Floor
City Chambers West
Glasgow
I have been told that the next green bin collection will take place on Dec 14 – these bins have not been collected on the last two uplift dates. I have no space to accommodate full bin bags in my home, not recycled waste. I have also had to buy an electronic rat killer since I have rats in my basement.
Can I ask – did a representative from the council attend the meeting on 16th Nov?
Has there been any mention of GCC providing a skip for a community cleanup, as was suggested by JM?
I would appreciate any updates on this.