Action need to stop fly-tipping and dumping in the neighbourhood

The scene on Friday 3rd May before the area was cleared and bins were emptied …

Cally Labour Councillors are calling for changes in the way that recycled waste is collected in the streets surrounding the Bemerton estate in the middle of Caledonian ward.

Large “Euro-bin” containers have been placed around the estate to collect waste for recycling. This follows new fire safety rules which, late last year, required the Council to change the way that these materials were collected from blocks of flats which have enclosed corridors. The previous practice of leaving bags or boxes of loose cardboard, paper and plastics outside front doors on these corridors was declared to be hazardous.

Instead, the Council has placed Euro-bins at various collection points around the estate. But some of these are attracting fly tippers and people just dumping general waste.

One problem area is at the north end of Carnoustie Drive next to the junction with Lyon Street. Council workers are having to regularly clear dumping which often includes furniture, carpets and black sacks of general waste. When Council crews do these extra clear-ups, it costs  the Council extra or means other ad-hoc street cleaning jobs don’t get done.

… 4 days later, the situation was looking even worse … then this morning (Thursday 9th) it got cleared again

The two bins are intended for recyclable waste from the estate. But the location is on the public highway at a place which has little natural overlooking. Therefore it is fast becoming a general on-street dumping site. Councillors have said there are three problems at Carnoustie Drive:

• the bins are regularly overflowing and either because there is insufficient capacity for this part of the estate or the bins are being used regularly by other people;
• the site is attracting considerable amounts of dumping because the presence of the two Euro bins seems to indicate that it’s a collection point for all kinds of bulky refuse;
• because there is so much general dumping associated with these bins, it looks like people are just dropping “residual” waste into them thereby contaminating the recyclable waste.

Cally Labour Councillors have called for this location to be re-considered and the Council’s refuse managers have now agreed to review the suitability of this site.