Angus Council’s leader has told his political rivals there is no going back on recycling changes.
David Fairweather said the changes are the right way forward and outlined a vision that eventually all Angus skip sites would take only recyclable materials.
He was speaking in the wake of Thursday’s budget after Carnoustie Independent councillors Brian Boyd and David Cheape put forward an alternative spending paper which was ultimately defeated.
Mr Boyd and Mr Cheape’s budget would have seen Carnoustie and Monifieth’s existing recycling-only sites closed and the creation of a new £2.4m state-of-the-art shared dump, which would also accept general waste.
Mr Fairweather said: “Minimising general waste is absolutely the right thing to do.
“There is no going back on recycling and eventually we want to be in a position where all our recycling centres are just for recycling.”
Recycling changes in Angus aimed at achieving “necessary savings” came into force in February.
Four recycling centres – Brechin, Carnoustie, Kirriemuir and Monifieth – now only accept recyclable items.
Only the bigger centres at Arbroath, Forfar and Montrose continue to accept non-recyclable waste.
Mr Boyd said: “Why is South Angus treated differently to any other locality in Angus?
“It’s ridiculous for residents of South Angus to have their carbon footprint forcibly increased by having to drive a round trip of over 20 miles to Arbroath rather than using a local waste service.”
Mr Boyd said the £2.4m state-of-the-art skip site would have presented an ideal opportunity to “keep Angus beautiful”.
Mr Cheape said the protection of waste management and recycling services is and remains of uppermost concerns for residents in Carnoustie.
Monifieth and Sidlaw SNP councillor Beth Whiteside told Mr Fairweather that “with the best will in the world you can’t recycle everything”.
She said constituents have been raising concerns about being unable to get rid of their general waste without going to Arbroath or Dundee.
Carnoustie SNP councillor Mark McDonald said he has also been receiving complaints from constituents following the skip changes.
He added that it was a regular topic of debate at community council.
‘Can drive 10 minutes to the Baldovie centre’
Monifieth and Sidlaw Lib Dem councillor Ben Lawrie said voting against a new shared skip site for Carnoustie/Monifieth was the right decision for his constituents – and even suggested South Angus residents could instead use facilities in Dundee.
He said: “I don’t think people in Monifieth want their local recycling centre closed for a new one that they’ll have to travel out of town for.
“As it stands, every burgh currently has a recycling centre.
“People in Monifieth with extra general waste to dispose of can drive 10 minutes to the Baldovie centre.
“I don’t see sense in giving them a similar journey for their recyclables when they have a recycling centre on their doorstep.”
