A bid to overturn a ban on householders using double axle trailers to dispose of their waste at Fife recycling centres has been thwarted.
A blanket restriction on was imposed at the region’s recycling sites earlier this year to prevent commercial operators from abusing the system.
However, Conservative councillors say they have had a flurry of complaints from residents inconvenienced by the move – particularly now summer has arrived.
They proposed a motion, suggesting the restrictions should be eased, but it was voted down by Fife councillors by 47 to 16.
Members opted to await the outcome of an interim review into the wider access changes which were put in place on January 1.
Conservative environment spokesman Councillor Andy Heer said the administration should be ashamed of itself.
“We were assured that double axle trailers were mostly used by commercial operators,” he said.
“This proved not to be the case and many private householders were caught by the ban which was not the original intention.
“All that would be required would be to allow householders with a double axle trailer to sign a declaration, the same as people with large vans are allowed to do. Businesses would still have to pay to dispose of their trade waste but the ordinary householder who has a trailer load of rubbish or garden waste would be able to access their local recycling centre.”
He said the issue would now not be considered until it goes before a strategic committee which doesn’t meet until September.
“It’s summertime now when people are working in their gardens and doing DIY projects about their homes but the council’s Labour/SNP administration has rejected this simple solution to allow ordinary people to recycle their waste,” he added.
“It’s a failed policy, not in the interest of the taxpayers and the administration should be ashamed of itself.”
SNP councillor Ross Vettraino, convener of the council’s environment, protective services and community safety committee, said he it would be “unwise” to review any policy without advice from officers about how it has worked in practice.
“It’s important to reflect on why the policy was changed in the first place,” he said.
“Our network of recycling centres was being illegally used by the commercial sector to dispose of commercial waste at a cost to taxpayers in Fife to an excess of £1.5million per annum.”
