Recycling entre row: Councillors clash over opening hours

A row over opening hours at Cupar recycling centre looks set to rumble on after two councillors clashed over the issue.
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Conservative councillor Tony Miklinski has accused SNP counterpart Ross Vettraino of showing “disrespect” to local people in response to his question about access arrangements in Cupar and how they have changed in the past two years.

Directly answering the question during the full council meeting’s ‘Question TIme’ section, Mr Vettraino confirmed the centre in Cupar is currently open two days a week and for a total of 14 hours 30 minutes, going on to note that those hours were different from what they were back in December 2019.

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That answer in turn prompted fury from Mr Miklinski, who asked a similarly-themed question back in September if recycling centre hours in general would revert to those prior to December 2019 once the booking system for the facilities came to an end.

Cupar Recycling Centre. Pic: Google.Cupar Recycling Centre. Pic: Google.
Cupar Recycling Centre. Pic: Google.
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On that occasion, Mr Vettraino said there were no plans to reduce opening hours or days, but noted that winter opening hours would take effect in October.

Following the exchanges, Mr Miklinski has not been satisfied with the answers given and is keen to see opening hours restored at Cupar soon as possible.

“At the last council meeting in September, Councillor Vettraino stated that the opening hours would remain what they were prior to December 31, 2019,” he noted.

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“We just heard that Cupar has in fact been singled out for a massive 60% cut in the number of days – from five to two – that it is open to the public.

“The people of Cupar would like to know why he misled council last time round and when they are going to get their recycling centre back to what it was pre-Covid.”

In response to that accusation, however, Mr Vettraino said: “I would say that Councillor Miklinski got a different answer in September because he asked a different question.”

An attempt by Mr Miklinski to ask a supplementary question in response to that answer was subsequently refused by council chair Provost Jim Leishman and the meeting continued.

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