I feel for Fife Council a lot of the time. I really do.
Having seen Labour administrations, SNP administrations and now joint Labour/SNP administrations in my time as a reporter, every single one has, at times, been damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
Particularly in the current climate, when financial outlays have to be smarter and every penny has to stretch further.
It was not unusual to hear the sound of air being sucked through teeth from my corner of the office the other day as I read through proposals to crack down on commercial operators who avoid trade waste fees at Fife’s recycling centres.
They all sound plausible and entirely needed, as all the evidence suggests that many traders are regularly disposing of waste at household waste recycling centres illegally and not within the terms of their permits.
It costs around £1.96 million each year to operate the commercial waste service at Fife’s recycling centres, yet just over £94,000 is generated from the sale of recycling tickets to local businesses.
Fife Council and its arms-length company Fife Resource Solutions are subsidising disposal costs to commercial operators. It is a situation that cannot continue.
Moves to stamp out the culprits taking shortcuts at the sites have been put forward, ranging from automatic number plate recognition technology and height restriction barriers to cashless payments.
Already high rates of flytipping are going to soar in the weeks to come as a result.
The introduction of body worn cameras to protect staff from confrontation with angry customers is a further worrying development. It is a wholly sensible move, discussed with staff members and union representatives.
But I get the distinct feeling that rather than risk any confrontation, some white van men (or women) might just decide it’s easier – and cheaper – to turf their waste elsewhere.
