Merrylee streets see 'shocking' scale of fly tipping

Bailie Kyle Thornton is pleading for action after the scale of fly tipping in Ashmore Road, Cherrybank Road and Friarton Road left him “absolutely shocked”.

Residents have brought the issue up with the Glasgow City Council, which has suspended its bulk uplift due to the pandemic, but have not managed to have the waste cleared.

Council bosses have told they are still prioritising refuse collections while their staff numbers remain limited.

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However, Kyle Thornton, the Conservative councillor for the Newlands and Auldburn ward, does not believe that the community should need to wait for the waste to be cleared.

He told the Glasgow Times: “All I look for as a local councillor is for the council to get it cleared up and to pursue those who have done it. I don’t think it is right that people should have to live with that.

“I had a constituent contact me who said they had to walk in the road with their mother who is well in her eighties, because they couldn’t actually use the pavement because it was covered in fly tipping.

“It is ridiculous. I understand that the council is under strain with the pandemic and that non-essential services were suspended, but I would say that, actually, it is essential to get this cleared up,” he added.

He fears that if the waste remains in the streets it will simply encourage others to dump their own rubbish alongside it, adding that “waste brings more waste”.

But he acknowledged that it is also important that those responsible are persecuted.

“It is so disappointing. People know that the bulk uplift isn’t there, clearly, it is frustrating, but just because you don’t want it in the back garden, doesn’t mean you should resort to fly tipping,” he said.

“If this service becomes a paid-for service, my fear is we will see a continuation of this fly tipping across Glasgow.

“We need to be really strict on the enforcement and make it clear that it is a zero-tolerance approach.”

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A Glasgow City Council spokeswoman said: “The bulk uplift service is currently suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic and people have been asked not to put items out for uplift until the service is resumed.

“The pandemic has not gone away. Its impact is still being felt. We still have a large number of staff off work shielding and, we must ensure that those who are working, can do so safely and in accordance with physical distancing rules.

“With this in mind, we are currently prioritising refuse collections. In addition, our household waste and recycling centres have reopened, and we would urge everyone to dispose of bulk items responsibly or to store them safely until full service can be resumed.”