£285 charge for Care of Gardens scheme in South Lanarkshire

Due to its financial cuts, the council plans to introduce a £285 charge for the 6,900 non-council tenants who are part of its popular Care of Gardens Scheme.

There will also be a £65 charge for hedge cutting.

The charge has angered many people, including an 87-year-old Carluke man, who asked not to be named.

He said: “Unhappy is an understatement. I have been getting my garden looked after by the council since I was 80 but I think it is ridiculous to be charged so much.”

A council spokesman said: “What we are seeing here is the effect of the bankers’ greed affecting the lives of ordinary people.”

For more information on this story, pick up a copy of this week’s Carluke and Lanark Gazette which is in the shops now.