Since Aberdeen’s garden waste permit system was introduced in 2019, the city’s Liberal Democrat group has condemned it as an “unjustifiable cash-grab” – and members have even vowed never to pay it.
A devoted “axe the garden tax” section can be found on Lib Dem councillor Steve Delaney’s own website, where he rubbishes the parties responsible for it.
Abolishing the levy was a key part of the group’s manifesto at last May’s council elections, and the “commitment” was etched in stone when they formed a power-sharing deal with the SNP.
The document contains an agreement to “repeal the unfair garden tax charge”, which was added at the behest of the minority members of the coalition.
But when councillors met on Wednesday to set the budget for 2023-24, the four Lib Dem members voted to maintain the very policy they have spent years fighting.
Why was the Aberdeen garden waste permit so controversial?
Under the system, rolled out in August 2019, households pay a yearly £30 for tamper-proof stickers to show they should have their garden waste picked up.
As the charges loomed, an Evening Express poll showed 80% of indignant Aberdeen readers would refuse to pay.
The @AberdeenLibDems flagship manifesto commitment was to scrap the garden tax. Today they reneged on that pledge. https://t.co/xnFiBLdfAo
— Ross Grant (@RossGrant12) March 1, 2023
Liberal Democrat group leader Ian Yuill has long crusaded against the policy.
Over the years he has called it a “short-sighted cash grab” that is “unpopular because it’s unjustifiable”.
And he warned that it could even damage the council’s eco credentials, as it would lead to more garden waste being secretly stashed in black bags and taken to be incinerated.
Decision to keep brown bin charges in Aberdeen budget after years of controversy
Pledging never to pay it “on a point of principle”, Mr Delaney voiced fears it would mean garden waste is fly-tipped.
And his website features a section slating his current SNP stablemates for previously trying to increase it to £35.
And in a post when the charges came into force, Mr Yuill fumed: “The council should be encouraging people to recycle – not charging them to recycle.”
Lib Dems vow to eradicate brown bin charges – eventually
After this week’s crunch meeting, they were accused of “reneging on their pledge”.
And North East Conservative MSP Douglas Lumsden accused the Lib Dems of “complete hypocrisy” on Twitter.
Speaking to The P&J, Mr Delaney stressed that his group remains committed to eventually consigning the costs to the compost heap.
He hopes to be able to scale back the fee next year, before removing it completely after that.
This vision would mean residents continue to pay until at least the summer of 2025.
Mr Delaney confirmed he has never paid the fee, opting to take his garden waste to a recycling centre to dispose of it.
Mr Yuill told us that, “in an ideal world”, he would have done away with it.
But concessions had to be made when balancing the books, and ensuring schools and other vital services continue to receive sufficient cash.
He added: “We had to save £47 million, that meant making some difficult decisions.
“Our commitment is still to abolish it, and we will do it as quickly as we can.
“But this is the worst situation I have seen in almost 29 years as a councillor.
Brown bin charges could have increased in Aberdeen budget
By 2021, it emerged that 35,000 households had signed up to the scheme – generating £900,000 for council coffers.
Ahead of the budget meeting, the finance department suggested the cost of a permit be increased to bring in a further £129,000.
That would have brought the annual income from the brown bin charges to about £1 million.
And while opting to maintain the “unfair” system, the administration rejected the idea of upping the price.
Announcing the freeze, SNP finance convener Alex McLellan added that the partnership “will work towards abolishing it over the years to come”.
You can watch the budget meeting here, or buy a garden waste permit here.
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