Glasgow Faces Rat Crisis Council Spends Millions on Cleanup Efforts

Glasgow will start a major cleanup in Ibrox. Funding will support 150 cleaning jobs. Fifty positions will manage litter in parks, while other teams will remove fly-tipped waste and sweep roads. Chris Mitchell called it a “game changer” and wants to restore city pride. He noted the city looks terrible now.

The council says they will invest in services based on feedback received from residents via surveys. The council will add 200 staff for cleaning including pest controllers and officers. They ask residents to help keep the city clean by using the city’s many public bins, as litter often ends up on the ground.

The council advises residents to contain food waste properly to avoid rats and keep bin areas tidy. They also suggest clearing bird food to avoid pests and that property owners should fix cracks in buildings. Many Ibrox residents are upset about fly-tipping and feel the city is not taking action.

Streets look bad with dumped garbage including mattresses and sacks. Lorraine Hargan says it’s the worst ever, having seen washing machines and bags of trash. Even taxi drivers comment on the mess, and she worries about her grandkids’ health.

Locals call the area notorious for dumping and are upset about trash piling high. They’re angry about reduced pickup service and believe people should not leave trash everywhere. Locals feel the situation is out of control and want the city to stop littering.

Another resident thinks people are lazy and someone else finds the situation “disgusting.” People want cameras to catch culprits, along with fines and cleanup enforcement. Someone said the area looks like a landfill; People want both big clean ups and fines.

Lorraine is scared fly-tipping will bring rats, as she has seen them on a nearby street. She feels it’s just a matter of time now and contacted her housing about the issue. They told her to call the city council, but she says the council doesn’t answer.

The council is aware of the fly-tipping and is investigating Kintra Street now. They gathered evidence to identify people, who could face a £500 fine. The council works with environmental authorities, and SEPA can issue stiffer penalties too.

Fly-tipping harms communities, the council says. They understand residents are unhappy about it and state incidents on Kintra Street will be addressed fast. They say the mess will be dealt with soon.