A proposal to explore replacing private business waste collection with a single council-commissioned service has been struck down by Edinburgh councillors.<\/p>\n
In January, Edinburgh\u2019s Transport and Environment Committee asked council officers to explore re-introducing a council operated trade waste collection service.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, at a meeting of the same committee, officers presented a report exploring the feasibility of a scheme, and said there was \u2018limited scope\u2019 to do so.<\/p>\n
The council\u2019s Green group put forward an addendum asking officers to explore whether a council-commissioned service could be launched to replace private collections.<\/p>\n
Addressing councillors at the meeting, Green councillor Chas Booth said it would decrease the number of bin lorries on streets due to there being less fragmented service.<\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cYou quite often find that there are numerous different commercial waste operators operating their vehicles in [town centres] at the same time.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis contradicts our aim that we would have streets which are more friendly to pedestrians, and people walking, wheeling and cycling.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have discussed this with officers, as far as I understand it this is a scheme which effectively operates in those socialist strongholds of New York and Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt works there, so let\u2019s see if it can work here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Lang replied: \u201cI strongly suspect that we work to a different legislative framework than Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx.<\/p>\n
\u201cCould be wrong, but I\u2019m pretty certain that my reading of legislation is, on that, correct.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have the powers to do this. The act is very clear in allowing a multitude of licenced providers.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he understood what the Green group was trying to achieve, but worried about the consequences of removing competition from the market.<\/p>\n
Labour councillor and committee convener Stephen Jenkinson said he would not accept the Green addendum.<\/p>\n
After the addendum failed, Green councillor for the City Centre ward, Claire Miller, said: \u201cIn the city centre we\u2019ve got a real problem with lots of huge, noisy, polluting bin lorries all trying to pick up business waste in small streets.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can also be quite unsafe for folk walking, wheeling and cycling when there are so many HGVs.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019m really disappointed the Green proposal to explore reducing the number of bin lorries was voted down by Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem councillors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a real missed opportunity to make our streets safer for everyone and I expect many of my constituents will be very disappointed this potential improvement has been blocked.\u201d<\/p>\n
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter<\/p>\n