Recycling centres to close for up to two days per week across Fife

Councillors at the environment, protective services and community safety committee have agreed to reduce opening hours at nine of the region’s 11 tips in a bid to save on the £2.4m per year running costs.

Larger household waste recycling centres at Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy and Methil are to close one day per week, while tips at Cowdenbeath, Cupar, Dalgety Bay, Lochgelly, Pittenweem and St Andrews will all close two days.

Only the centres at Dunfermline and Ladybank, which are both landfill sites, will remain open seven days per week.

In a report to the committee, it was highlighted that other than Aberdeenshire and the Highlands, Fife has the highest number of recycling centres of local authorities in Scotland. Glasgow Council operates four, while Edinburgh has three.

The site closures, when they are rolled out in April, will be on fixed days allowing the public to use alternative centres.

As part of the new measures, recycling centres will now also close for 45 minutes each lunch time to mitigate the risk of lone employee working, and the new opening schedule will mean some council employees will have to relocate as part of their shift patterns.