Residents in Renfrew are being hit in the pocket by a costly row over who takes their bins out.

A number of people who own flats in the town’s Ferry Village development say they are being charged £5.20 a month for a service that Renfrewshire Council provides free of charge.

Glasgow-based Hacking & Paterson, which manages the 116 affected properties, has hired a private firm to remove the large communal bins and then return them after they have been emptied.

Glasgow Times:

Residents in Mulberry Road, Mulberry Crescent and Fingal Road have been told the council won’t empty their garbage unless it is moved from the bin stores beforehand.

However, council chiefs have denied this is the case, insisting their refuse collectors are willing to take out the bins, as they would for any other householders in the local authority area.

Barbara Roberts, 57, who lives in Fingal Road, is among those to hit out over the bin charges.

She said: “It is not right that we pay a private contractor more to take out our communal bins from the bin stores.

“We don’t understand why we are having to pay an extra £5 on top of our council tax.

“Our grey bins are emptied on a Tuesday and recycling ones are emptied on a Friday and we are charged for both.

“As far as we are aware, we are the only owners or tenants in Renfrewshire who are made to do this.”

Retired school science technician Barbara and her neighbours want to be reimbursed for the charges, some of which date as far back as six years.

She added: “The binmen collect and return every other refuse bin in Renfrewshire free of charge, so why are we not receiving the same service?

“I think the owners should be compensated for the money we have paid out.”

Barbara and the other owners claim they only learned of the monthly charge when the £2.60 cost of the Friday service was itemised on their factor’s bills for the first time last year.

A council spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on a private agreement between residents and their factor.

“However, the council collects and replaces shared communal bins if they are not presented at the kerbside.”

Gordon Buchanan, director at Hacking & Paterson, added: “Should any of the owners wish to discuss these matters, they are welcome to contact us.

“Where flats are served by larger, industrial-type bins, in our experience, given the nominal costs involved, such homeowners employ contractors to present and return their bins for them.”