MSP slams Fife Council’s bulky uplift booking service crash a ‘shambolic mess’

The local authority blamed unprecedented demand for the crash and said it was working to get the system back up and running.

The new service is intended for people who cannot transport their items to a recycling centre or for items that are too large or cannot be broken up and put into kerbside bins.

Initially, the council said 180 booking slots will be available Fife-wide daily Monday to Friday.

Items larger than six feet in length must be dismantled into parts less than that length. The service will not collect car parts, sheds, lawnmowers, bricks or rubble amongst a few other restrictions.

Mr Torrance said the cost of the new project is already over £1m - and that would “no doubt spiral” as it goes offline.

He hit out:: “Although I’m a champion for recycling, and all for keeping our streets and countryside beautiful, Fife Council’s shambolic mess of the implementation of its free bulky uplift scheme is a major embarrassment to the current administration.

“Fife Council is set to take a £1.1m hit on lost revenue from its current bulky uplift scheme combined with the cost of increasing its fleet of vehicles and staff to get the scheme up and running this month.

“Already they are falling behind and I’m waiting with bated breath for a scheme or project that actually works and will be delivered on time and on budget!”

John Rodigan, Fife's head of environment and building services said: "We want to apologise for the system issues that have prevented residents from booking free bulky uplifts. An unprecedented level of demand has caused the booking system to go down and work to remedy the situation is ongoing."