Kelso’s councillors have branded as “shameful” the refusal of fellow councillors to allow a debate on using cash allocated to the town to provide a temporary green waste service.
Councillors Alec Nicol, Tom Weatherston and Simon Mountford issued the statement after last week’s council meeting, when Mr Nicol’s bid to have a debate on using up to £10,000 of Quality of Life cash to fund the service for a year was defeated by 13 votes to 10.
In a joint statement they said: “We are extremely disappointed at the refusal by members of SBC’s administration parties to allow the suspension of standing orders so that we could debate the provision of a temporary green waste service in Kelso.
“There is an irrefutable case for the provision of such a service as Kelso is the only Scottish Borders town of more than 4,000 people without a recycling centre within 10 miles.
“This means that Kelso residents face a round trip of between 40 and 50 miles to dispose of their green waste.”
Responding, Stuart Bell, leader of the SNP group, said: “Borderers expect that the services which they all equally pay for via council tax should be provided to all communities.
“Making a special arrangement for Kelso – albeit for one year – is not an equitable basis on which to proceed.”