The latest turn in the saga surrounding Angus recycling centres has seen a Forfar councillor call for the town site to be given exemption from the recently-imposed ban on pedestrian access to such facilities.
As one of a range of health and safety-related control measures at skips sites across the county, elected members decided in early September to follow the advice of officers and stop visitors on foot from dumping material.
The blanket ban was brought in to reduce the risk of pedestrians mixing with traffic, alongside the immediate cessation of users being allowed to empty wheelie bins into skips.
Administration Conservative councillor Braden Davy has now pressed officials to reconsider the pedestrian ban at Forfar, saying he doesn’t believe the Queenswell Road site should come under a “one-size-fits-all” approach.
“It was this administration which saved the Forfar and Kirriemuir recycling centres, and scrapped plans to build a super-skip at Padanaram. If the SNP had their way the Forfar site would be closed,” he said.
“Due to the change, health and safety assessments were made of all sites, but I don’t believe there should be a one-size-fits-all approach across all recycling facilities in Angus.”
He added: “Forfar may be more able to safely manage pedestrians compared to Arbroath or other sites, thus alleviating any car congestion and enabling more people to use the facility.
“I would like to see the new administration reassess the health and safety assessment at Forfar, as pedestrians could and should be safely catered for,” said Mr Davy.
The call comes at a time when waste management officials have also been asked to rethink plans for a ban on trailers over six feet long.
The new rule had been due to come into force along with reduced opening hours at burgh facilities, but following representations on the impact it would have for domestic users of the skips will now be looked at again.
Council recycling chief Stewart Ball said skip site staff had identified trailers as their prime concern.
The recycling centres situation was branded a “burach” by SNP councillor Kenny Braes, but alliance administration leader Bob Myles defended the trailer ban u-turn, saying it was “good news” for skip site users.
“We need to make the right decision, not just rush into one, and this once again proves that we are listening to what people have to say.
“We want to encourage recycling,” he said.
