A much-missed weekly household waste collection whose absence has resulted in 90-mile round trips for rural Aberdeenshire residents to offload their rubbish has been officially mothballed.
More than 360 people signed a community council’s petition asking for the local authority to bring back the Saturday service that served the Deeside communities of Ballater, Crathie, Braemar and surrounding areas.
Weekly visits by a council lorry, which was based in Ballater, allowed residents to travel to the village and drop off larger items like carpets and mattresses.
It was paused at the start of the pandemic and now, despite the wishes of the community, the council has confirmed the service will “remain suspended until further notice”.
Those living in western Aberdeenshire will continue to have to make lengthy drives east to the nearest dropping-off point – the Banchory household waste recycling centre.
For residents in the more remote areas, such as Mar Lodge, this means 90-mile round trips that can take up to two hours.
Phillip McKay, head of waste management for the council, said: “Council services which were suspended as a result of Covid-19 are being scrutinised to determine if they are vital and represent best value for money before they can be reinstated.
“We continue to face considerable pressures – both in terms of our budget and staffing resources – to continue providing critical activities such as household waste collections.
“While it was possible to resume the seasonal garden waste collection point in Ballater to enable residents to recycle garden waste closer to home, having carefully reviewed the arrangements for Saturday non-recyclable waste collections, it was agreed this particular service will not resume for the time being.
“Residents across Aberdeenshire can use the bulky uplift service and recycling centres for any non-recyclable waste that does not fit into their black bin at home.”
Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside councillor Geva Blackett said the news the service remains suspended would be “very disappointing to residents of Ballater and further west for whom trips to Banchory are very time consuming”.
She added: “With the winter approaching fast and the potential for bad roads acting as a deterrent for many, I absolutely support the Ballater and Crahie Community Council petition urging the council to resume the service.”