WHEELED bin collection routes are under review as Dumfries and Galloway Council considers potential changes to pick-ups.
Waste services chiefs are looking over specific roads where there is one road in and out of housing areas, and may potentially switch from kerbside collections to end-of-road collections in certain locations.
The matter was discussed at the council’s economy and resources committee last week.
Abbey Councillor Ian Blake raised the issue after being contacted by a concerned constituent.
He said: “This is an issue which will affect right across Dumfries and Galloway.
“This was about concerns that there may be some plans for the council withdrawing waste services from private roads.
“I spoke to a council officer and I do have an assurance that this is not the case, that we do have a duty to lift from premises, but there is a review taking place that will look at each case individually, and there may be some alterations.”
But he added: “This would have a significant affect, if you can imagine having to take 80 bins to the end of the road.
“There may very well be plans where it wouldn’t be an individual collection, they could take bins to various points in an area, but I’d like some assurances.”
And he insisted that any policy being considered should be presented to councillors first for approval.
Karen Brownlie, the council’s head of facilities, waste and neighbourhood services, responded: “The local authority has a statutory obligation to uplift domestic waste.
“In relation to road-end collections, there is an agreed policy which dates back several years now.
“The team are currently looking at route reviews, and some of that will encompass whether there should be road-end collections rather than kerbside collections – and that might be where there are issues with routes. If there’s one way in and one way out, there may be issues in relation to that.”
An update will be brought back to the committee in the coming months.
