More fly-tipping despite council's relaxation of recycling restrictions
DESPITE a relaxation of restrictions at recycling centres across the Highlands a pile of fly-tipped rubbish was dumped at a beauty spot near Wick at the weekend.
Local people took to social media to condemn the "selfish behaviour" which saw plastic buckets, a radiator, a chip pan fryer and various other items set along a wall at the Castle of Old Wick car park.
Council workers are believed to have cleared the rubbish this morning (Monday) after it was reported.
Ironically, restrictions for vehicle and trailer access to Highland Council recycling centres were relaxed after an amendment was passed at a full council meeting last Thursday.
Wick and East Caithness councillor Raymond Bremner said on Friday: "Following representation made to me and a number of my Caithness councillor colleagues, I spoke at full council yesterday to support a motion to change the restriction on vehicle and trailer access to Highland Council recycling centres."
The amendment to the motion was brought by Caol and Mallaig councillor Allan Henderson to relax the restrictions but only allows four visits a year by certain vehicles and trailers.
The motion was carried 28 votes to 26.
A Highland Council's spokesperson said: "A decision was agreed at the full council meeting of The Highland Council today (12th March 2020) to make a minor amendment to the newly introduced Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) vehicle restrictions policy.
"The vehicle restrictions which were introduced at the beginning of February 2020 will be amended with immediate effect to allow householders with oversize trailers access to HWRC to dispose of their household garden waste, electrical appliances and furniture only.
"Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes or greater; tippers and flat-bed trucks of any weight and plant vehicles are still not permitted at HWRC. Construction and demolition waste restrictions will still apply."
Councillor Bremner, despite having reservations with the motion, said that given the "rural nature of the county and a number of other factors" it was not sufficient enough for him to withdraw his support.
"I have every sympathy with the reasons why the council introduced the restrictions in the recycling centres with large vehicles and trailers.
"However, this has consequently had a considerable detrimental effect on our local communities – especially our rural communities.
"Only last night, I was made aware of a situation at a local recycling centre where a double-axle trailer looked to deliver a couch for recycling.
"The folks looking to recycle it had to take it outside the recycling centre gates, unload the couch and take it back through the gates manually.
He said that it was imperative that Highland Council should continue to be "a listening council".
"We have a great number of responsible people in our community that would like to continue to use their trailers to take their recycling material to the centre.
"We have the ability to better shape this policy with this motion.”
Flytipping can be reported here: https://www.highland.gov.uk/report
Anger at rubbish behaviour in the Caithness countryside