Should Stirling's waste recycling booking system be binned?
When a new booking system for household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) in the Stirling Council area went live in May 2024, it was hoped waiting times would decrease for locals.
It was also thought the council could save money in the process, to the tune of £80,000.
A year on, users of the tips at Lower Polmaise, Callander and Balfron are still required to book a timeslot online before turning up.
But the system isn't popular with everybody, and some councillors are calling for it to be scrapped.
During a recent meeting of Stirling Council, Conservative members pushed for the policy to be changed, dubbing the booking system an 'inconvenience'.
Trossachs and Teith councillor Martin Earl said: 'We believe that there should be no booking required for ordinary, domestic use of an HWRC.'
He argued that while the amount of commercial waste illegally dumped at the centres had decreased since May 2024, it was not equal to the dip seen in domestic waste disposal at the facilities.
Stirling's Conservative councillors proposed changing the booking system to only affect commercial vehicles.
In response, Environment, Transport and Net Zero Committee convener Jen Preston said: 'On a personal level, I would rather spend about a minute booking online, because it's not a very lengthy process, than have to queue in my car for 10 minutes.'
Ms Preston, who is also Labour councillor for Stirling West and deputy council leader, told fellow members she had received a letter of complaint from a constituent when the booking system was first brought in.
However, this was later followed by a message in support of the scheme after the same constituent found it to be an improvement.
Ms Preston argued the booking system was primarily introduced to increase efficiency and lower the cost of HWRCs.
She said abandoning the project before data is available to assess its effectiveness would be disrespectful to the council officers who implemented it.
It was confirmed that the booking system would remain in place for now.
A report containing a full year's worth of data will be presented to Stirling Council's Environment, Transport and Net Zero Committee in September.
A Stirling Council spokesperson said: 'Stirling's recycling rate is among the higher-performing local authorities in Scotland.
'The household waste and recycling centre (HWRC) booking system has resulted in a 2% increase in recycling performance and a reduction of 1,500 tonnes of residual waste.
'We remain committed to advancing waste management strategies and collaborating with stakeholders to promote a circular economy.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Startling sum North missed out on for transport in 'decade of deceit'
Analysis by think-tank the IPPR found the North of England would have had an extra £140billion in transport cash if it was treated the same as London under the Tories The North of England would have had an extra £140billion of transport cash if it was treated the same as London under the Tories, damning figures show. New analysis reveals the Government spent £1,183 per person in the capital between 2010 and 2023 - compared to just £486 in the north. And it was even worse in the Midlands, where the figure was £455. Marcus Johns, senior research fellow at think-tank IPPR North - which crunched the numbers - said: 'Today's figures are concrete proof that promises made to the North over the last decade were hollow. It was a decade of deceit. "We are 124 years on from the end of Queen Victoria's reign – yet the North is still running on infrastructure built during her reign – while our transport chasm widens. This isn't London bashing - Londoners absolutely deserve investment. "But £1,182 per person for London and £486 for northerners? The numbers don't lie – this isn't right." The data shows £83billion of Government cash was spent on transport projects in the north since 1999/2000. The region with the lowest amount of investment over the period was the East Midlands with just £355 spent per person. Last week Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a £15.6 billion package for mayoral authorities to use on public transport projects across the North and Midlands. This cash is expected to include funding to extend the metros in Tyne and Wear, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands. There will also be a renewed tram network in South Yorkshire and a new mass transit system in West Yorkshire. Labour's Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood said: 'This report lays bare the way in which successive Conservative governments have short-changed areas outside of London and the south east, denying millions of people access to jobs, education and opportunity. ' Labour promised we would bring growth to every part of the country and we've put our money where our mouth is. As part of our Plan for Change we've announced more than £15 billion for local transport in England's city regions, delivering the biggest ever investment in buses, trams and local rail."
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Disability cut impact could be even worse than expected warns food bank charity
Research commissioned by food bank charity Trussell found that 340,000 people in disabled households will be pushed into severe hardship by benefit changes being brought in by the Government Tens of thousands more people will be pushed into poverty by the Government's welfare cuts than previously feared, a major foodbank charity has warned. Trussell has claimed that 340,000 people in disabled households will be forced into severe hardship by the end of the decade. Keir Starmer faces a rebellion from his own party over a string of measures, including cutting access to the personal independence payment (PIP) and sickness-related elements of Universal Credit. The Government's assessment found 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, will fall into relative poverty in England, Scotland and Wales after housing costs are taken into account. But Trussell's analysis said the true picture is even worse, with 440,000 likely to need a food bank - although an increase in the basic rate of Universal Credit will move around 95,000 people out of severe hardship. Helen Barnard, director of policy at Trussell, said: 'This UK government was elected on a promise of change, and with a commitment to end the need for food banks. If the government goes ahead with these ill-considered and cruel cuts to social security, this promise will not be kept – and instead, they will risk leaving behind a legacy of rising poverty and hunger. "Tackling fiscal challenges should not be done at the expense of people already facing hunger and hardship. These cuts will force 440,000 people in disabled households into severe hardship and leave them at risk of needing a food bank. "We urge the government not to continue down this damaging path." The PM faces fierce opposition from Labour backbenchers, dozens of who say the proposals - expected to save £5billion a year - are "impossible to support". Charity the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has backed Trussell's calls for the Government to rethink the disability benefit cuts. It said: "This analysis shows they are likely to create more deep poverty and hardship than even the bleak forecast from the Government's own limited assessments." Trussell has also demanded the Government brings forward the planned increase to the basic rate of Universal Credit to April 2026, instead of waiting until April 2029. A Government spokesperson said: "This Government is determined to change people's lives for the better, helping them out of poverty and tackling the unacceptable rise in food bank dependence in recent years. "We will never compromise on protecting people who need our support, and our reforms will mean the social security system will always be there for those who will never be able to work, and that their income is protected."
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Farage's 10 most public spats as he faces 'serious lack of leadership' jibe
There are fresh questions over Nigel Farage's leadership skills following the Zia Yusuf saga, with the Reform leader having got in a number of public spats over the years The latest Reform UK drama shows it's "Nigel's way or the highway" amid growing questions about Nigel Farage's leadership ability, Labour says. Last week the party was rocked when chairman Zia Yusuf stood down hours after accusing Reform's newest MP of asking a "dumb" question at PMQs. But in a round of 'humiliating hokey-cokey' he later announced his return, despite saying getting Mr Farage into No10 was no longer a "good use of my time". The debacle was seized on by Mr Farage's ally-turned-nemesis Rupert Lowe, who said it showed the Reform leader "must never be Prime Minister". The former Reform MP, who now sits as an independent, has previously accused his old boss of running Reform like a "cult". Labour has said Mr Yusuf's brief exit highlights Mr Farage's "inability to maintain good relations with any of his colleagues". Here we look at some of the best-known cases that raise questions about his leadership skills as he tries to convince the country he can run the country. Zia Yusuf: the Reform chairman initially resigned after suggesting Reform's newest MP, Sarah Pochin, had asked a 'dumb' question at Prime Minister's Questions. Mr Farage's response suggested Mr Yusuf didn't have the mettle for the 'highly pressured and difficult' political world. Humiliated Yusuf now says he 'made an error. It was a function of exhaustion' Rupert Lowe: Reform's fifth MP was expelled and reported to the police by the party. The explosive row that followed saw Mr Lowe accuse Mr Farage of running a 'cult', said he was 'messianic' and 'must never be PM', and said the Reform leadership had 'zero integrity'. Mr Farage, in return, suggested he'd 'rather eat razor blades' than allow Mr Lowe back to Reform Elon Musk: Mr Farage fell out with Elon Musk after criticising his support for Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. In response, Musk suggested he 'doesn't have what it takes' to lead Reform Gawain Towler: Mr Towler was sacked by Mr Farage after two decades with various Eurosceptic outfits. He suggested Reform infighting was 'sub-optimal' Ben Habib: Mr Farage called Mr Habib 'bitter' and 'twisted' after he was passed over for Deputy Leader. Mr Farage suggested Mr Habib leaving the party was 'a huge relief'. In return, Mr Habib called the Reform leader a 'coward', accused him of 'childish behaviour' said Reform was a 'cult' and 'unfit to govern' Douglas Carswell: Mr Farage accused former UKIP MP Douglas Carswell of blocking efforts to give him a peerage and called him a 'Tory party posh boy' who should be expelled from UKIP. Mr Carswell resigned UKIP and blamed Mr Farage for the party's decline saying that 'Far from having a strategy, we seemed to be driven by whatever came out of Nigel's mouth" Dominic Cummings and Vote Leave: Mr Farage said Vote Leave top brass were ' cretins' just a month before the referendum. Suzanne Evans: Former UKIP Deputy Chairman Suzanne Evans said Mr Farage was 'very divisive' and suggested 'somebody else' should front the Brexit campaign. She was dropped as a party spokesperson Patrick O'Flynn: Mr O'Flynn called Farage 'snarling, thin-skinned, and aggressive' and stood down as UKIP's economics spokesperson Alan Sked: The founder of UKIP called Mr Farage a 'silly bugger' for focusing on immigration Ellie Reeves, Labour Party Chair, said: 'Zia Yusuf's humiliating hokey-cokey in recent days might be laughable but it just goes to show that the party revolves around just one person who clearly has a problem with working relationships. For Farage to fall out with one colleague might be an accident but to feud with everyone you've ever worked with suggests a serious lack of leadership. Nigel Farage is only happy when he's in total control. 'It's Nigel's way or the highway. How on earth would he run a country if he can't manage a handful of politicians without sparking chaos every few weeks? Reform are just not serious. They've pledged £80 billion in unfunded spending, would put up every single mortgage in the country and hammer family finances, while forcing them to buy private healthcare. Working people simply can't afford the risk of Reform UK.'
