Granton resident Rosalie Faithfull criticizes Edinburgh Council for lack of planning to tackle fly tipping and litter problems.
Rosalie Faithfull lives in Granton. She moved there six years ago. Rosalie says the council must create a plan to tackle litter and flytipping problems.
Rosalie thinks current wheelie bins aren’t good enough for communal blocks. She also says flytipping rules are not enforced enough. Rosalie thinks Granton suffers from the “broken window” theory, meaning neglect causes more problems and small issues can escalate into bigger ones.
Rosalie doesn’t know what councillors are doing. She said litter and flytipping issues are not being fixed and that Granton could be better. The litter makes the area look bad, with overgrown greenspaces and constant flytipping; some people dump trash there from other areas.
Wardieburn’s greenspaces are often overgrown. The council’s maintenance schedule seems random. Rosalie complained about this back in 2022. Rosalie says the council uses a “sticking plaster” approach and that a better, multi-faceted plan is needed.
The mess affects residents’ mental health. It can also decrease property values. Rosalie dislikes wheelie bins for flats and wants larger bin hubs, believing more enforcement is needed to combat flytipping at bin hubs.
Rosalie thinks wheelie bins for flats are a bad idea because Granton is very windy. The wind blows the bins over, and rubbish spreads everywhere because of it. She knows some people dislike bin hubs, though, as they have become flytipping hotspots since free uplifts were removed.
People may not have money for paid uplifts. She sees outsiders using communal bins. Rosalie wants better rules and enforcement. Granton needs an overall plan to utilize the area’s empty corners.
Rosalie thinks the council isn’t doing enough, and regular litter picks feel pointless to her now. Residents feel powerless to change things. Rosalie says big changes must happen. She tries to ignore the area’s issues, but there are many good things about living there, and she feels for families with children.
Stephen Jenkinson says flytipping is illegal, hurts the environment, and damages public spaces. It also strains available resources. The council offers special uplifts for a small fee, and residents can also use recycling centers. Jenkinson believes there is no excuse for it.