A councillor has said the local authority is "not sympathetic" to increasing parking spaces for residents during a public meeting about the roll-out of bin hubs.
Cllr Ken Andrew responded to residents raising concerns about the number of parking spaces that could be lost in Woodlands if the roll-out of on-street bin hubs across the area goes ahead.
A public meeting held at Garnethill Multicultural Centre on Wednesday, June 3, and attended by the Glasgow Times, drew a large crowd of residents from Woodlands who were invited to give feedback on the proposed hubs.
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Glasgow City Council is rolling out bin hubs across the city for flats and tenements that “are unable to safely accommodate shared waste and recycling bins in external bin store areas”.
Kevin Howell, who is project manager for the roll-out at the council, told the meeting the main reason for introducing the hubs is to improve safety for cleansing crews.
He said there have been staff who have had musculoskeletal injuries due to having to move bins up and down stairs during collections.
Mr Howell also said the hubs are more efficient as they only require crews of two, whereas closes require crews of six.
The council says the hubs will expand the recycling options available to residents, including food waste, will reduce missed bin collections, and will help residents keep their back courts in better condition.
However, residents raised concerns that ‘what looks ideal in pictures isn’t what we’re seeing around Glasgow’ from areas where bin hubs have already been introduced, and said as a conservation area, more should be being done to “preserve” Woodlands.
Several residents shared their frustration over the fact that introducing the bin hubs will mean the area will lose several parking spaces, which they say they are already short of.
One man who spoke at the meeting said locals are “going to lose a lot of parking for no benefit”.
Others also asked if there would be a reduction in the price of residents’ parking permits if spaces were lost as they are more likely to have to park further from their home.
It was confirmed they would not.
Cllr Andrew said the council is “not sympathetic to increasing car parking” and is against multiple car ownership.
He also commented that Woodlands residents live within walking distance of the city centre, have access to the subway and can cycle, which was met with anger from many attendees.
West Princes Street and Queen's Crescent already have on-street bins with pictures displayed at the meeting showing many of them overflowing with rubbish dumped on the street around them.
One resident of West Princes Street said the issues people are facing are not to do with the bins themselves, but there is "no waste management system" with many agreeing there needs to be more frequent collections.
They also say there have been incidents of building materials being dumped on the street.
An attendee said that despite rising council tax prices, “I don’t see me getting my money’s worth”.
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Another resident said fly-tipping around bins is attracting rats and seagulls, with many residents agreeing that there is an issue with vermin in the area.
One woman, who lives in a basement flat, said she is unable to open her windows due to rats coming into her home.
Mr Howell was also asked how elderly or disabled residents are expected to open the bin lids.
He said the lids on the new bins are lighter, but highlighted that the council does individual accessibility assessments for people who may request their own bin.
Residents from Garnethill, where bin hubs were introduced last year, also spoke about their experience.
Bill Beckett, chair of Garnethill Neighbourhood Watch, said there were concerns over bin hubs being left unlocked by cleansing staff, leading to fears people could be injured or cars damaged if bins were removed.
The Glasgow Times reported on the issue in July last year.
Mr Beckett also said the bins had sometimes been returned to the hubs facing the wrong direction, meaning there were occasions where residents had to stand in the road to open them.
Another Garnethill resident said the hubs are not being maintained or cleaned, while another agreed there needs to be more frequent collections.
In a show of hands at the end of the meeting, the vast majority of those in the room said they were against the roll-out of bin hubs in Woodlands.
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