How much did Glasgow City Council make from brown bin permits?

Glasgow Times

23-07-2025

Data from a Freedom of Information request has revealed that 86,295 households across the city have paid the £50 charge to have their garden waste collected.
Over the last two years, the local authority has pocketed £4,314,750 while paying out just £12,800 to residents who claimed for refunds.
Now a Glasgow councillor is calling for more transparency over where the cash has gone since the charge was brought into effect in 2023.
Drumchapel and Anniesland councillor Paul Carey BEM says that people are right to demand to know where their money has been invested.
Paul Carey BEM (Image: supplied) He exclusively told the Glasgow Times: 'We were told when the permits were being rolled out that money generated would be reinvested in communities, so the question is what specifically has been done and where are future monies going?
'This was a new revenue stream, and we were told that the benefits would be seen across the city. This is a sizeable sum of money and Glaswegians who are paying this permit charge deserve to know exactly what has it been spent on?
'We're not just talking pennies this is a total that could make a huge difference to a lot of struggling services and tired community centres in many areas. There are so many parts of the city crying out for investment, so the council ought to be providing a breakdown of where it has gone. People want, and are right to expect, value for the money.'
Bosses at Glasgow City Council sparked anger when they decided to introduce the charge across the city 21 months ago.
The data shows that its first year, from October 1 to September 30 2024, the scheme brought in £2,031,600. The following 12 months it generated £2,283,150.
Local authorities in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde also decided to hit households in the pocket for the kerbside collection of their garden refuse, but at a 20 per cent lower charge of £40 per address.
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We previously told how residents in Whitburn Street in Carntyne were calling on local authority bosses to introduce a reduced rate for the elderly and vulnerable unable to afford the one-off fee.
Ann Ayre, chair of the area's Winget Residents' Association, told the Glasgow Times that her members had decided to take a stand against the move – and called on senior citizens across the city to follow suit.
Ann Ayre (Image: NQ) Ann said: 'A lot of pensioners don't have the cash to fork out for something that should be covered by their council tax.
'We need a payment plan to spread the cost, or better still axe the permit altogether. This is a charge on top of our council tax that, in my mind, can't be justified. People are struggling right now through a cost-of-living crisis, paying to have your grass cuttings taken away is unacceptable, especially at a time when some households are having to decide between energy bills or eating.'
A one-off payment of £50 currently applies per brown bin, so if a household has two, the total cost is £100. Permits are provided within 21 days of purchase
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: 'As with all such schemes, the funds raised will be reinvested in council services. The council approved £2million per year from brown bin permit income as one of its budget options to balance the budget a couple of years ago.
'The council has to come up with a list of budget options every year, including income generating and cost-reducing options that are approved as part of the budget.'
Councillor Carey added: 'The council's response to the question of where the money has specifically gone is just not transparent.
'It is time this money was ring-fenced and allocated to the type of community projects people care about instead of going into some budget black hole