Closing tip '˜will lead to more illegal dumping'

They claim the move is a false economy because more money will have to be spent on clearing up dumped rubbish than it would cost to keep the facility open.

The town’s tip has been closed for the last two Tuesdays as part of measures to save money by Fife Council which says that increased recycling measures means it is not used as much.

However when the Press went along to speak to Martin Blankenstein, a local businessman who has slammed the move, around 30 people turned up to dispose of their waste in around 20 minutes, including companies trying to dispose of large volumes of rubbish.

“It’s just ludicrous that the council thinks closing the tip is going to save them money,” said Mr Blankenstein (65).

“There are two employees inside the gates who will be getting paid, and from all these people who have loaded up their cars to bring stuff to the dump you can guarantee not all of them are going to just go back home or to their workplace and unload it all again.

“Some will just go round the next corner to a quiet spot and dump it which will end up costing the council twice as much to clean it up.

“The council’s chief executive’s salary is £207,000 yet they think closing the tip one day a week is going to save them money?

“They have also introduced closing at lunchtime, yet all these people coming along here today don’t know anything about it, so it’s obviously not been well publicised. It is just a joke.”

Another visitor, who did not wish to be named added: “I have come here twice today and only just noticed the sign they have put up. It’s just a joke.”

And a company employee with around six wheelie bins full of waste, said: “I pay a lot of money to enable me to dispose of my firm’s waste, yet I have not even been told that it is closed on a Tuesday.

“I can either take it to Glenrothes or Leven, which means another hour out of my busy day, or come back tomorrow by which time I will have even more.”