Staff who pick up behind Fife’s fly-tippers were not consulted about controversial recycling centre changes, it is claimed.
Fife Council’s own team manager for parks, streets and open spaces said his service was not asked for views on the introduction of a pay-per-load scheme for traders and limiting of commercial waste dumping to three sites.
Echoing public concerns which forced the proposals to be put on hold, Iain Barbour warned they would lead to more illegal dumping of rubbish in the region’s countryside.
Councillor David MacDiarmid said it was shocking that those who will have to deal with the consequences if the new system is implemented were not consulted.
He said: “It will be Iain’s team who will literally be picking up the pieces from the woods and countryside all around us.”
The council insisted it had consulted widely, including with management responsible for dealing with fly-tipping.
But shortly after revealing that the number of workers who clean streets and maintain open spaces in north-east Fife had been reduced from 100 to 77 in the last couple of years, Mr Barbour claimed there had been no consultation.
Voicing his concerns to the council’s north east Fife area committee, he said: “At no time was our service ever consulted in anyway about the changes.
“Anyone can tell you there will be only be one result. We will be picking up more fly-tipping with a reduced resource in the years to come.”
Mr MacDiarmid said Mr Barbour had seen his workforce chopped, changed and decimated over the last couple of years.
He said: “I therefore fail to understand any logic in not consulting with Iain prior to bringing these crazy proposals forward.
“With the workforce already stretched to the max, how will he cope with this extra burden?
“I am increasingly concerned about Fife Council’s consultation processes these days.”
Chris Ewing, chief operating officer of Resource Efficient Solutions, an arm’s length company of the council, said: “Whilst we didn’t consult directly with every member of staff in the council’s parks department, we did carry out consultation work with a range of stakeholders across the council including the management responsible for fly-tipping.
“We appreciate the concerns that have been raised about fly-tipping but must stress that results from other Scottish councils who have implemented such changes did not report any significant increases.”
