Glasgow ‘in no fit state’ to host COP26, councillor claims

In recent weeks social media has been filled with images of litter strewn streets and overflowing bins – with council leader Susan Aitken even taking to Twitter to ask for some bins to be emptied in Shawlands.

And now, with just over 70 days remaining until world leaders descend on Glasgow to discuss the climate crisis, opposition councillors have questioned why residents who pay council tax are being treated as inferior to dignitaries including Joe Biden and Angela Merkel.

In response the city council said it would work to keep the streets clean “before, during and after COP26” and said it had invested significantly in cleansing services.

It also said many instances of rubbish on the streets brought to their attention were cases of fly-tipping, and warned that anyone caught illegally dumping rubbish could face a fine.

Local councillors have said the recent introduction of bulk uplift charges, designed to stop fly tipping and keep litter off the streets, will not help the situation – and could even make it worse.

Conservative councillor Euan Blockley says the administration needs to learn from its mistakes before it is too late.

He said: “The worrying thing is that the city council is just passing the buck onto the people of Glasgow.

“The council is keen to clean up the streets for the delegates ahead of COP26 but Joe Biden and Angela Merkel don’t pay council tax.

“I’m sure the Hydro and the areas where COP26 will be hosted will be in good condition but there are people in Glasgow living in squalor.

“Glasgow is a midden I have never seen the city in the state that it is in. That’s why there is a lot of public anger but the council is denying there is a problem.”

His colleague Thomas Kerr, who launched a campaign to reverse the bulk uplift charges, said that Glasgow was in no fit state to host COP26.

He said: “From rodent infestation to rampant fly-tipping and overflowing bins, the cleansing crisis in Glasgow is entirely of our SNP council’s making.

“Unfortunately, the administration’s leadership is completely oblivious to the extent of the emergency our city faces. Glasgow is in no fit state to receive world leaders in November.

“How can we hope to make progress on climate change when our SNP council is failing at its basic duties to keep our environment clean and tidy? Any temporary measures they implement in advance of the conference will only serve as a sticking plaster and expose how the SNP think that Glaswegians deserve an inferior level of service to visiting dignitaries.”

Jon Molyneux of the Glasgow Greens said that while there’s an obvious desire to show Glasgow at its best during COP26, the idea that the city will get spruced-up for visiting delegations, but not for those who live and work all year round, is one that “sticks in the craw”.

He said: “We do need to keep tackling litter and fly tipping. People who dump their rubbish aren’t just committing crimes, they are putting a burden on all of us, who pay through our taxes to clean it up.

“The council can do more, through education and by using the enforcement powers it has, to stop this at source. It also has a duty to ensure it is not inadvertently adding to the problem through poorly designed or delivered services.”

Glasgow City Council claims it will ensure all available resources are focused on supporting the city’s environment before, during and after COP26.

A spokesman for the council said: “The specific incidents highlighted to us by the media show waste that has been disposed of inappropriately.

“This cardboard waste should have gone in a bin and could have easily been recycled rather than being dumped on the street as fly-tipping.

“We always encourage members of the public to report fly-tipping in public places as this will lead to incidents being dealt with, which has happened with the cases that have been highlighted.

“However, it must be stressed that fly-tipping is an environmental crime for which the culprits can be fined and it is also a behaviour that places an unnecessary drain on cleansing resources.

“Each year Glasgow spends around £100m on environmental protection with waste collection and disposal accounting for most of this budget.

“By head of population Glasgow spends twice the national average on street cleansing and our budget for street cleansing is year on year significantly greater than any comparable Scottish local authority.

“The overall cleansing budget, which also includes refuse collection and waste disposal, has risen by 20% in the past six years.

“We have also been investing significantly in our cleansing service with new household waste services, new street bins, new mechanical street sweepers, additional staff being introduced and new hydrogen-powered bin lorries due to follow.

“As lockdown has eased, we have again been able to support the city’s many community clean-up groups that help to build pride and resilience within our neighbourhoods.

“Sadly, as highlighted by the press, a fundamental issue is that too many people do not dispose of their waste in an appropriate manner and it is important that residents and businesses appreciate the positive difference they can make to the overall look and feel of the city.

“As we hopefully continue moving on from the pandemic, we will ensure all available resources are focused on supporting the city’s environment before, during and after COP26.”