We are proposing the following practical measures for fly-tipping and beautification at the grass triangles around Pollokshields Terregles Avenue / Kildrostan Street / Nithsdale Road:
- Reduce the number of recycling bins to a reasonable (small) number – we don’t want a mini version of Polmadie recycling centre in a residential street and grass triangle. That might mean some of the recycling bins being moved to other locations, although if so would again be kept in small groups of just 1 or 2 bins.
- Schedule recycling bin lorry collections at reasonable times – no more midnight collections!
- Lock the top flap of the recycling bins – if only the front slit can be used to feed in materials, large scale dumping of commercial and residential rubbish and black bins bags will be discouraged, while real cardboard and metal tins for recycling is encouraged. The bins already have that allen-key style lock in place, it is just not being used.
- Arrange the recycling bins in a straight line – no ‘L’ shaped curve, because that gives fly-tippers an obvious corner location to stack their rubbish behind.
- Have newer/cleaner/freshly-painted recycling bins – the current set are old and bashed, in poor condition, an eyesore.
- Beautify the grass triangles and surrounding are generally – regular grass cutting, new or newly-painted benches, flower beds or plant bushes, etc.
- The above may be enough to halt the fly-tipping – if not, either enforcement measures (inspecting dumped rubbish, cameras, council or police presence at worst fly-tipping times of late Saturday nights) or short-term temporary removal of all recycling bins will be needed.
Please comment below or contact us with other suggestions/ideas/opinions (and also consider contacting councillors etc.).
So a huge thank you for starting this because it’s an issue increasingly needing urgent attention. As a resident myself I feel these bins should be fully removed and sufficient recycling bins put in residents’ back courts instead. Recycling centres like this could and should be moved to non residential areas like expanding morrisons or simply existing Polmadie. There’s no need for these at all if residents have enough with their bins.
I am also greatly concerned about the noise, fly tipping and the excessive amount of bins in use. I have taken photos and complained to my local councillor only to be informed by GCC that they would not be resolving this issue. Unfortunately, the area is looking very rundown and is an eyesore which is a real shame given how pleasant the area could be.
For my part I would like to see Kildrostan Street pedestrianised to augment the cafe culture in the area which would also stop the traffic and the speeding problem here too. A possible solution to the bins would be to sink large bins into the ground similar that in Queens Park or simply to reduce the bins for residents use only to 2 or 3 and make sure they are locked from the top.
What is encouraging is the dialogue taking place between neighbours and hopefully a solution can be found soon.
John Kyle
Recycling is important and I use the dumpsters but its very grubby and seems to almost defeat the purpose of sustainable neighbourhoods.
Getting a reasonable approach to the bins should be a short term goal but looking at the wider picture this could be part of a range of improvements that make our neighbourhood safer and more pleasant. Pollokshields Trust and the Strathbungo Society both drew up concepts for improvements to the Kildrostan Triangle, maybe it’s time to dust these plans down. I agree with John that closing Kildrostan street to traffic would boost local business and make the road crossing from Floral Haven to the Chemist a less fraught experience.
The triangles with their mature trees are unique public assets.