A rubbish “tax” blamed for an increase in fly-tipping has been axed – just weeks before council elections.
Piles of filth in Glasgow hit shocking levels last year, just as the city was about to host the COP26 climate change conference.
The GMB union protested that streets were overrun with 1.3million rats due to underfunding of council cleansing services and that fly-tipping had “gone through the roof” following the imposition of a £35 charge by the council to uplift furniture and bulky goods.
People elected to dump their waste rather than pay the council to collect it.
Now, the union’s full-time cleansing convener Chris Mitchell claims that just weeks before the local government elections in May, £2million has been found to clean up the streets, and that the £35 uplift charge is being scrapped.
He said: “Suddenly, money has been found to clear things up but I’ve been complaining about a lack of funding for six years.
“Come May, these councillors want to get re-elected so cash suddenly appears. It is shocking.”
Glasgow City Council say the £35 scheme will be dropped, with people charged £5 per item instead.
A £2million investment in Neighbourhood Enhancement Teams will create 13 squads to undertake a rolling programme of deep cleans.
A council spokesman said: “Charging for the uplift of bulk waste is environmentally and economically the correct approach.
“However, in relation to citizen concerns – including those raised during the budget consultation – we are proposing a simplified and fairer per item charging model.
“This change will take place as soon as is operationally practicable. We will review offering periodic charging ‘amnesties’, and further promotion of repair and reuse options.”
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