South Ayrshire Council bosses have confirmed they're aware of a petition calling for the reversal of its brown bin charge.
Earlier this month, we revealed how a cross-party bid to scrap the controversial £50 charge had been launched.
But Ayr East councillor Chris Cullen's plea for the authority's ruling group of Conservative and administration councillors to reconsider the move hit the buffers almost straight away.
As a budget decision taken less than six months previously, consideration of a U-turn would have required suspension of the local authority's standing orders - and by a vote of 15 to 12, it was decided not to suspend the standing orders.
Councillors voted through a plan in February to introduce a 'garden waste permit' scheme which would see residents forced to pay, on top of their existing council tax bills, for the collection of garden waste for recycling.
But since that move, taken as part of the local authority's budget plans for 2024-25, which were approved in February, less than a quarter of the households in the area with brown bins have bought a permit.
While rubbish collection is part of a local authority's statutory services, and is thus paid for through residents' council tax, the statutory requirement doesn't extend as far as collections of garden waste.
Many other Scottish local authorities already have a brown bin charge, or 'garden recycling permit' scheme in place.
The South Ayrshire scheme is due to launch on July 15.
Alongside the cross-party campaign, a petition set up by resident John O'Donnell has garnered almost 400 signatures.
It reads: "This levy feels like a double taxation, unjustly imposed on us, the local homeowners and gardeners.
"We pay council taxes believing that they will provide for essential public services, including rubbish collection.
"However, this new charge ignores this fundamental principle. By introducing a separate fee for a service formerly covered by our council taxes, the council is essentially placing an additional burden of local taxation on us.
"Instead of passing the buck to us, the council should be looking at alternative methods of funding — perhaps through restructuring their budgets or seeking other sources of revenue.
"For many council taxpayers, who are just managing to make ends meet, this additional charge could prove to be a significant financial strain.
"For the sake of our community, our finances, and our environment, I am calling upon the South Ayrshire Council to reassess this decision.
"Please, join me in opposing the unfair imposition of the brown bin charges, and insist that the council seeks alternative planning for their funding. Sign this petition. Let our voices be heard."
A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the petition, which has not yet been formally submitted to the council.
"In considering petitions that are submitted, we follow the procedure set out in our Public Petitions Protocol.”
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