Highland Council's Inverness Recycling Centre’s reduced opening hours criticised by residents and councillor Duncan Macpherson
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Highland Council has defended the opening times of its recycling centres after the operation was criticised by local residents.
Their concerns were highlighted by councillor Duncan Macpherson, who represents people living in the Inverness South ward, when he shared the issue via social media.
He said he had been contacted by a number of his constituents who questioned how serious the council was about recycling waste and the climate emergency.
Cllr Macpherson claimed that before March 2020, prior to the beginning of lockdown restrictions, Inverness Recycling Centre was open for a total of 73.5 hours, or 10.5 hours a day, seven days a week.
He said that it was now post-Covid and we were currently in the height of summer with gardens growing at their fastest and residents were kept busy cutting their lawns and trimming their hedges.
“Inverness Recycling Centre is only open 56 hours a week – that’s 17.5 hours fewer per week and equivalent to almost 24 per cent less recycling time.
“So Highland Council is serious about recycling despite it keeping to the Covid reduced opening hours,” he said.
“Yet staff at the recycling centre told me of their daily frustration, that Highland Council is now paying the staff at its recycling centres for even more hours post Covid – even though their gates are open fewer hours to the Inverness public.”
He added that taxpayers were frustrated by the situation on a daily basis.
In response, Cllr Graham MacKenzie, the chairman of Highland council’s communities and place committee, said: “The recycling centre in Henderson Road is open 7 days a week. It provides convenient opening hours from 10am until 6pm.”
