Poverty stricken Fifers lumbered with unwanted rubbish should be exempt from paying for uplifts, according to a local councillor.
John O’Brien has called for Methil residents to be spared the £25 fee for getting Fife Council to remove bulky items of rubbish.
He said responsible residents had been left looking at an eyesore because of furniture and other items dumped illegally by other people.
Two streets in Buckhaven Factory Road and Victoria Road have been offered a one-off free uplift in response to a long term fly-tipping problem in the area.
But Mr O’Brien said the fee should be waived whenever residents find themselves unable to pay for rubbish to be removed.
He said: “My point is that the poorest people cannot afford to feed their children, so how are they going to afford uplifts?
“Fife Council have to look at their polices and make allowances for the poorest families. Fridges and cookers are dumped everywhere, as well as furniture, because people can’t afford uplifts on top of ‘bedroom tax.’
“Seems to me the poorest people pay more in more ways than one.”
Mr O’Brien visited Factory Road in Buckhaven, where rubbish was piled up in the streets. A Levenmouth resident, who asked not to be named, said Whyterose Terrace in Methil had also become a dumping ground.
And the source said the council was not doing enough to keep the streets tidy.
“I’ve got relatives who come to visit and it’s a total embarrassment,” said the source.
“It looks absolutely dreadful.”
Another said: “It’s unbelievable. There are mattresses, furniture, carpets and plastic bags. This isn’t the first time this has happened and the neighbours are really fed up with it.
“We’ve had rats before.”
Bill Campbell, area housing team leader for Levenmouth, said: “There has been a longstanding littering and illegal dumping issue in this part of Buckhaven.
“We have arranged to increase the number of communal bins that these houses have access to and, as an incentive to use the recycling facilities, we decided to offer a one-off free uplift for the streets.
“Now that extra bins are in place we expect householders to use them appropriately and any future fly-tipping will be dealt with through normal procedures.
“We’re not looking at rolling out the amnesty in Methil but we are looking for the best solutions for local issues across the Levenmouth area.
“I’d also like to reassure residents that we do identify anyone who dumps unwanted items and recharge them accordingly so that we can recover our costs for arranging for the clean-up.
“The majority of councils charge for a bulky uplift service. Bulky items can also be taken to one of the council’s 11 staffed recycling centres where the items will be disposed of or recycled free of charge.”