Council bosses have reinstated a free bin removal service to 116 homeowners in Renfrew after complaints were highlighted by The Gazette.

Last week, we reported how residents in the town’s Ferry Village development were being charged £5.20 a month to have their bins taken out – a service that is normally provided free of charge.

Glasgow-based factoring service Hacking & Paterson, which manages the affected properties, had hired a private firm twice a week to remove the large communal bins and then return them after they had been emptied.

It told owners that Renfrewshire Council wouldn’t empty their refuse unless the containers were moved beforehand.

Council chiefs denied this, insisting their refuse collectors were willing to move the bins in Mulberry Road, Mulberry Crescent and Fingal Road, as they would for any other tenants.

Now campaigning residents are celebrating a victory for people power after they were told their bins will be emptied without them having to pay an extra charge.
Retired school science technician Barbara Roberts, 57, who lives in Fingal Road, said:

“The residents would like to thank The Gazette very much for investigating our concerns over refuse bin collections.

“Without your intervention, we would have been no further forward and unable to resolve the issue.”

A council spokesman said the local authority hadn’t been removing the communal bins as the residents had an agreement in place with their factor.

He added: “As this has been raised with us, we’re now collecting and replacing the communal bins as normal.”

Residents now hope to be reimbursed by both the council and their factor for the charges, which date back six years.