You may remember the story about the bins rebellion of 2024. A group of people on the Winget housing estate in Carntyne in Glasgow decided to take a stand on the extra charge being imposed to pick up brown bins. They said it was outrageous they were being charged for something that should be covered by council tax and said they wouldn’t pay it. Eighteen months on, the question now is: where have all the millions gone?

The issue for the people objecting to the charge, led by a redoubtable Glaswegian called Ann Ayre, was simple. Their garden waste used to be picked up as part of the regular service but the council then said they would be introducing a £50 annual fee and householders would be required to buy a permit. No permit, no pick-up. Ms [[Ayr]]e, chair of the Winget residents’ association, made the point that paying to get your grass cuttings taken away was unacceptable when some people are having to decide between energy bills or eating.

The council’s response was that budgets were under pressure, which they are, and that the collection of garden waste isn’t one of their statutory duties, which it isn’t, and that the money raised from the permits would be spent on vital services. They also said people weren’t being forced to use the brown bins or pay for the permits because they could compost waste in their gardens or take it to a recycling centre. And they said the whole thing would help to minimise the impact of climate change as well.

Did this reassure the folk of the Winget estate? Of course it didn’t. Fifty quid to pick up your rubbish in Bearsden is probably no big deal; you may have a big garden where you can compost your rubbish, or a car to take it to the dump. The Winget........

© Herald Scotland