Anger at 'complete tip' of Glasgow's West End streets

After the Glasgow Times was contacted by local people to complain about the sight and smell of the streets in the morning we took a walk along the streets.

We saw bin bags burst open, with rubbish spilling out, gutters and pavements strewn with discarded bottles, masks and fast food takeaway cartons, and overflowing bins can be seen all along Dumbarton Road and Sauchiehall Street heading towards Charing Cross.

READ MORE: Stewart Paterson: Can we solve Glasgow's litter in parks problem by removing bins?

Towards Charing Cross on Sauchiehall Street litter was strewn along the pavement for hundreds of metres and on the road near the Charing Cross fountain.

People in the west of the city said it is detracting for the attractiveness of the area.

Anne O’Neill, Broomhill: “I am almost at the point now of avoiding walking into the city centre for work in the mornings due to the state that the streets are in.

“Between the stench and constantly having to dodge pieces of litter and bin bags picked apart by seagulls, there is absolutely no joy in my morning walk anymore.

“The streets are strewn with litter with bins overflowing.

READ MORE: New bins should help keep Glasgow parks clean

“The West End is a complete tip until around 11am every morning.”

David Gregg, Partick: “Every morning the streets are plagued with overfilled bins and scattered rubbish.

“Bins have been torn open by birds causing litter to be spread all over the street. It’s a shame to walk through beautiful parts of the west end whilst constantly trying to avoid the litter on the streets.”

Jill Ferguson of Partick, said: “It is partly bins not being emptied often enough and people cramming too much into bins. It’s not just the council, people need to change their habits."

She said she often goes out with her litter picker and clears up rubbish herseld and also with a group Partick Action on Litter.

The resident siad sometimes bins are not properly emptied and shared a photo of rubbish left inside the bin housing once the wheelie bin had been emptied.

The Glasgow Times also saw overflowing recycling bins with houshold waste bags piled on top of an already full bin.

A spokesman for the council said: “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.

“Unfortunately the covid pandemic does continue to have an impact on the delivery of services with staff required to self-isolate and restrictions still in place in relation to the use of vehicles.

“But we are using all available resources to ensure bins in public places are emptied on schedule and that street cleansing operations are as effective as possible.

“However in every instance in the pictures shared by the Glasgow Times, it is clear that members of the public have not disposed of their waste appropriately.

“Either litter has been dropped on the street, recycling bins have been contaminated with general waste, domestic bins have been used for commercial waste or larger items have been fly-tipped.

“In every instance these incidents put unnecessary, additional pressure upon our resources that could otherwise be deployed on the overall maintenance of the city.”