Fife housing development is first in Scotland to trial underground bins

The underground storage model is being trialled for two years at the new St Andrews West development – and removes the requirement wheelie bins but maintains the four waste streams system.The system is common in Europe, and there is an expectation that Fife Council will take over the running of it 2026. Joe Headon, developer, said: “It is a challenge accommodating four wheelie bins per house. They block pavements, get blown over and can overflow attracting seagulls in places like St Andrews.

“This system provides large capacity communal bins that take away these issues. There are also considerable benefits to the environment with longer periods between collections reducing fuel usage for refuse collection vehicles. Positive outcomes have been experienced with other such installations across the UK, and it's anticipated that the St. Andrews development will enjoy the same benefits. We are grateful to Fife Council in facilitating this initiative. " John Rodigan, head of service for environmental and building services said the local authority was “very supportive of the subterranean domestic waste storage model” and added: “We look forward to assessing the environmental benefits that will accrue and potentially extending this system to other strategic developments across Fife in the future."

St Andrews West is a joint venture between two award winning family run developer teams, St Andrews based Headon, and S1 Developments, based in Edinburgh. Signature features of the properties include high ceilings, extra large bright windows, generous connected living spaces, and links to the outdoors.

They have underfloor heating, and pre wiring for EV chargers is a standard feature in many of the homes. A shared electric car scheme is about to become operational within the development.

> The pilot project comes as Fife Council announces new bin collection calendars for households across the region. It is rolled out next month as the local authority moves to new single shift patterns from October 14. The current four-bin system will continue to operate, but the local authority wants people to be prepared in advance of the changes.