Fortnightly Bin Collections - What Happened to the Consultation?

I am calling for answers as to what happened to the consultation promised on fortnightly bin collections promised in June 2013.  I'm clear that this has not happened in any meaningful way.  I would also draw attention to the so-called consultation on the closure of the Marchbanks recycling facility which did not meaningfully consult with the public.  The Labour Group on the City Council are calling for a deferral of the proposals for fortnightly bin collections until the consultation promised and which is the policy of the council is carried out.

 

I want Dundee's recycling record to improve.  I want to see changes that improve it.  I am clear that for this to happen there needs to be support from the people of Dundee.  One way of ensuring this would be to have an extensive and full consultation before the policy is agreed, this is what was agreed to in June 2013.  A consultation after the policy has been decided is meaningless.

 

I want to know why decisions of the council are being ignored by officers and by the SNP Administration.  We need to be able to trust that decisions made democratically are actually implemented.

 

It is clear to me that people are uncertain about the proposals, they are after all a major change, I think that if they had been involved in the decision making process this would be different.  People understand the need to improve recycling, why doesn't the council trust them to have a say on what is being proposed.  Unlike most decisions of the council this is a policy which will impact on just about everyone in the city.  It is crucial that the council gets it right.  I do not think that imposing it is the way to do this.

 

On the issues contained in the report I still have some problems with the contents.  I want to be convinced that we have got the correct policy for the many tenements and other flats in the city.  Everyday in my ward I see that the current policy in tenemental areas is not working.  Parents complain to me about not being able to push prams along pavements due to the wheelie bins being left out permanently.  Elderly people raise concerns about being forced to walk on the road because the pavements are blocked.  Are the new proposals going to solve this?

 

Please take a look at the Dundee City Council report approved in June 2013 which called for a wide-ranging consultation on the issue of Domestic Waste.  Paragraph 4.4.1 states:

 

'The LCPP network will be utilised to enable a consultation process to be undertaken

with communities, residents and elected members on the implications of the new

regulations for the collection of recyclates and residual waste in the city. This

consultation will be extended to include all interested community groups, residents

and tenant associations.'