EXCLUSIVE: Glasgow 'on brink of health and safety disaster'

Glasgow needs a deep clean, and it needs to start right now if the city is to be ready to host the COP26 in November, according to the GMB Union.

Author: Natalie CrawfordPublished 9th Apr 2021
Last updated 27th Sep 2021

Glasgow needs a deep clean, and it needs to start right now if the city is to be ready to host the COP26 in November, according to the GMB Union.

They are telling our senior reporter Natalie Crawford-Goodwin (Twitter - imnatgoodwin) the waste and graffiti crisis in Glasgow's on the brink of turning into a serious health and safety disaster.

There has been an explosion of fly-tipping and graffiti appearing across the city, including on and around people’s homes. Cleansing teams are also reporting an increase in rats and drugs paraphernalia.

Who wants to come to Glasgow like this?


EXCLUSIVE: Glasgow 'on brink of health and safety disaster'
2 of 12

Chris Mitchell from the GMB Union told us: "Glasgow needs a deep clean. That's what it needs. And it's got to start just now.

"If Glasgow is going to showcase to the world what a beautiful city it really is then it needs to start now. Who would want to come and see Glasgow in the state it's in just now?

"It's going to harm tourism if this is the impression, we give people when they come for COP26 in November. It's a shame. It's shocking. Glasgow is facing a major waste crisis. Glasgow needs to get a grip of itself and invest heavily in cleansing services.

"This is going to turn into a health and safety crisis if someone doesn't intervene. Look at places like Edinburgh - it looks nothing like this.

"COP26 is coming, it's supposed to give Glasgow a lasting legacy. This is not a legacy.

"It's not too late, we have the opportunity to fix it but we need to all stand together and the council needs to invest in cleansing services to get the job done."

Local pensioner doing his bit

Pensioner Brian Timms stays in Hunter Street, which has become a fly-tipping hot spot.

He and his wife, who are both in their 80s have lived there for 30 years. The couple spend their spare time trying to clear what they can in bin bags.

He said: "It feels like we're living in the third world.

"We see it all the time. My wife and I come out with out bin bags and try to collect up what we can but it's not enough.

"I know the cleansing department try their best, they really do. It's not their fault. It's something to do with the budget. It's something to do with the system.

"If you want to empty a transit van at Polmadie skip you need a license and those that don't have one just come and dump it here.

"It's not people in cars - although that does happen - but we watch these vans turn up and dump from our window.

Responding to claims for council leader Susan Aitken that the issues are due to Coronavirus, Chris said: "The crisis in cleansing is due to budget cuts, nothing else.

"Yes we have had people who are off with covid, that is fair enough, but that has happened in every single industry and we're still out here trying to provide a seven day a week service on a budget that's been obliterated for ten years.

"We simply don't have the man power - Covid or no Covid. When people leave or retire they're not being replaced. We're around 400 staff members down now."

The Covid effect

GCC spokeswoman said: “Glasgow spends around £100million a year on environmental protection.

“However, our operations have been heavily disrupted by the pandemic. Many cleansing teams are still working reduced hours.

“Fly-tipping is a blatant form of anti-social behaviour that spoils our environment and undermines communities.

“Fly-tipping is a significant drain on our resources both in terms of clearing up after the culprits but also in relation to the environmental and financial costs of disposing of the waste.

“But every case of graffiti, fly-tipping and litter occurs because someone doesn’t care about their community or the place they are visiting.”

Hear all the latest news from across Glasgow and the West on the hour, every hour, at Clyde 1. Listen on FM, via our Radio Clyde app, on your DAB radio, online at Clyde1.com, or say ‘Play Clyde 1’ on your Smart Speaker.