Conservative councillors unveil action plan to help 'clean up Glasgow'

Glasgow’s Conservative councillors have unveiled a five-point action plan to clean up the city which they claim will help tackle the “waste crisis”.

Councillor Thomas Kerr, group leader, has laid out his party’s proposals to scrap the bulk uplift charges and invest more than £10m into frontline cleansing staff over the next council term.

They also want to return Glasgow to a fortnightly bin collection service, create an environment enforcement team to tackle fly-tipping, and ensure there is no garden waste charge.

It comes as tensions over the state of Glasgow’s streets rise just days before COP26 is due to begin.

Councillor Kerr has already appealed to the city council to reverse the bulk uplift charges, which he believes is making the waste crisis worse.

At a full council meeting in September it was agreed that the local authority would monitor the impact these charges were having on fly-tipping over the next year.

A motion was agreed by the SNP, Labour and the Greens but the Conservatives believe more needs to be done.

Councillor Kerr said: “If Susan Aitken isn’t prepared to clean up the city she runs, then the Glasgow Conservatives are prepared to step in.

“Our five-point plan is the first step towards addressing the mess that has occurred on the SNP’s watch.

“From scrapping the SNP’s bin collection cuts and discriminatory bulk uplift charges as well as investing properly in frontline staff, our proposals can reverse the SNP’s record of leaving Glasgow as the fly-tipping capital of the UK.

“The people of Glasgow deserve better than the out of touch council leader and administration.

“Our plans reflect the priorities of people living and working in this city. Glasgow needs an alternative to the SNP which places their needs first.”

Glasgow City Council said it would be inappropriate to comment on what is, essentially, a policy announcement by one party.

The SNP group were also asked for comment.

By local democracy reporter Catherine Hunter