Councillors have been blocked from quizzing officials on the introduction of a new booking system at Dalgety Bay recycling centre.
Rules imposed last week resulted in “scenes of madness” with drivers forced to reverse onto a main road if they had not booked in advance.
Officers say the decision is aimed at reducing congestion at the small Ridge Way site after a number of incidents.
But elected members have now been denied the chance to scrutinise it, despite a barrage of complaints from the public.
This is because recycling centres are run by Fife Resource Solutions (FRS), a company set up and owned by Fife Council.
And its contract gives it the power to make operational decisions without council involvement.
SNP councillor David Barratt and Conservative Dave Dempsey described the situation as absurd.
And Mr Dempsey pledged: “This isn’t the end of the matter. It’s scarcely even the beginning.”
‘Preventing scrutiny’ of Dalgety Bay booking decision
Both councillors attempted to lodge motions to discuss with officials the need for a booking system at Dalgety Bay recycling centre.
However, council lawyers dismissed the moves as “not competent”.
Mr Barratt said: “The idea that the council has no input into the operation of those sites will appear as absurd to the public as it does to me.
“Fife Resource Solutions was set up to facilitate a trading arm of the council’s waste operations and to use this to generate a financial benefit to the council.
“What it was not set up to do was to prevent scrutiny and circumvent the ability of the council to determine policy in areas where it operates.
“That is a new dynamic as far as I’m concerned and one that I am determined to address.”
‘Imposed by diktat’
And Mr Dempsey added: “If the rules really bar us from asking these questions in public then the rules need changing.
“It may be that a booking system is the answer to the problems at Dalgety Bay recycling centre, though I’m unconvinced.
“But such changes should be discussed in advance, not imposed by diktat.
“This is a service to the public, ultimately paid for by the public.
“And the public’s elected representatives should be part of any decision to reduce it.”
Contract ‘requires to be respected’
Fife Council legal services manager Mary McLean explained the situation in an email to Mr Barratt.
She said: “The running of the recycling centres has been contracted out to FRS…
“In terms of the contracted position regulating this arrangement, operational decisions rest with FRS.
“These provisions require to respected, as do the individual positions of the contractual parties.”
However, environment head John Rodigan pledged to work with residents and councillors to address the concerns around the booking system.
And FRS board chair, Councillor Ross Vettraino, confirmed it was introduction followed safety risks due to increasing demand and congestion.
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