It will be another four years before the council’s ill-fated kerbside recycling scheme is rolled out across the region.
Problems with the pilot project in Wigtownshire saw the introduction elsewhere in Dumfries and Galloway put on hold in late 2015.
And while council officials have yet to reveal when the roll-out will begin, a report for Tuesday’s meeting of the economy, environment and infrastructure committee revealed there is a target completion date of March 31, 2023.
The Stewartry was scheduled to see the multi-bin recycling system introduced in 2014. However, the only part of Dumfries and Galloway where it is operating is in Wigtownshire where there were a number of problems, including a £750,000 budget burst, and a halt was called while the issues were ironed out.
In recent months, the News has revealed that more than £400,000 has been spent storing hundreds of thousands of unused bins and £1 million on bin lorries that have never been used.
A half-yearly performance report for Tuesday’s meeting by business services boss Stewart Cameron shows that the “roll out of a household waste recycling scheme across the region” project is just 20 per cent complete, despite having started in August, 2014. It is expected to be complete in March next year.
A separate project – Delivering the Zero Waste Investment Programme – was due to be finished last June but is still only 69 per cent complete.
An exception report says that the final part of the project – the Dumfries Zero Waste Park – is on hold while the council reviews its waste management strategy following the end of the PFI waste contract with Renewi.
Galloway and West Dumfries MSP Finlay Carson hit out at the situation and said: “The council have failed spectacularly to deliver their much heralded recycling scheme and there are still many questions to be asked about decisions that were taken. Millions of taxpayers money has been wasted as the council have failed to deliver on their promises on boosting recycling rates across the region.
“With the cancellation of the PFI contract last year, the council still appear to have no idea as to what its future recycling plan will be.
“Local people deserve far better. This is yet another major project that Dumfries and Galloway Council have failed to implement properly.
