Recycling shut

West Dunbartonshire Council recycling centres closed from today

Dalmoak Recycling Centre on the Renton Road will be closed from today.

By Bill Heaney

The Greenlight operated recycling centres at Dalmoak, Renton, and Erskine Ferry Road, Old Kilpatrick have closed today (Friday).

A Council spokesperson said this follows the announcement this afternoon that the operator, Greenlight, has entered administration.

There will be no access to either site and residents are advised not to attend.

Other affected services include the Care of Gardens Scheme, high rise and tenement recycling collections and recycling glass collections.

The spokesperson added: “As a Council we will be working to ensure continuation of service provision and our employability team will be offering every support to affected staff. We will provide a further update once information is available.”

Residents are predictably unhappy about this situation since just two days ago the Council refused to take the service back into public ownership.

Councillor Jim Bollan, pictured left, of the Community Party urged them to do so quickly in order to save the 109 jobs involved in maintaining the service.

Cllr Jonathan McColl, of the SNP administration, said that while he was concerned about the impact on jobs there was no way he could support a takeover.

Cllr Bollan said: “But you have the structure the management team and the operatives already in place. We don’t want to see people made redundant. These people need a firm commitment that they will receive the Council’s full support to save their jobs.”

The priority should be to protect jobs and deliver services, he added. These could be incorporated into Greenspace. The Council should not be hanging about waiting for a private company to come in and take over.

Labour Cllr David McBride told the Council he was not prepared to go as far as recommending the Council take over the Greenlight operation. However, his MSP colleague Jackie Baillie went further.

Commenting on the news that Greenlight Environmental will go into full administration,  Jackie Baillie said:  “I am deeply disappointed that Greenlight Environmental are now going into full administration. It will be a very troubling time for the employees and their families so it is therefore crucial that all efforts are made to ensure that the employees jobs can be saved.

“I would urge all of the councils who will be affected to work together and bring the jobs in house. This will ensure that the employees have continued employment and that the service can be provided as normal.”

David Scott said: “I’m GMB convenor and though I’ve not been directly involved. I was given no information that this was on the cards. I did flag this up to other people before WDC told anyone.”

Councillor Danny Lennie

Cllr Daniel Lennie attacked the SNP administration for being slow off the mark.”

He said: “Given we have known for long enough that the re-cycling centres would close today I believe the administration should have had some plan in place to keep them open.

“Once the solution is found there will be huge cost involved with clearing the mess left. I believe the administration are negligent in not implanting emergency measures to prevent the ceasing of these vital services … even if it is for a short time.”

Craig Edward said: “This demonstrates a serious failing by the SNP administration due to a lack of contingency planning resulting in worst case scenario happening today. It’s completely unacceptable and we must fight for services and workers.”

Jacqueline G Stewart countered: “What they were told was [that the] rep was on holiday.”

The trade union rep, Hazel Nolan, is in fact on annual leave.

Karen McKinley said: “WDC should take this service back and employ the staff who have been paid off today.”

But Robert Quinn said: “How do the council fund this? They can’t fund the services they have at the moment.”

David Scott told anxious workers and householders: “Apparently the council waste services are going to be doing blue bins.

Robert Quinn said William Tracey’s will be accepting the recyclable material for the time being.

Sheila Clarke asked: “So where do we take anything that we previously took to Dalmoak?”