Mum hits out over cutbacks at Craigmuschat dump in Gourock

Mum-of-six Leeanne Jenkins lives in Greenock's Westmorland Road and told the Tele she makes regular trips to the nearby centre on Broomberry Drive in Gourock.

But now she faces having to store bags full of rubbish at home because she cannot get to the Pottery Street depot in Greenock as frequently.

The Greenock mum lives in her house with husband Arthur and her own parents.

Mum Leeanne said: "This is an absolute nightmare for us. We have to go to the centre every other day when my general waste bin is full. We have four adults in here and six kids. You can imagine the waste we go through and you can't recycle it all.

"Now we will be left with full bins and bags with nowhere to put them.

"There is no way we can go all the way up to Pottery Street as regularly with the traffic and the cost of fuel to get there, when there was one so close by.

I just feel like we are being forgotten about because of budget cuts.

"It won't just affect me, there are other people who use it. It just seems unfair."

Gourock man Jimmy Anderson of Albert Road previously spoke about the impact the decision would have on people who live in closes and who do not have wheelie bins.

She lives in her Larkfield home with Arthur, dad Gordon and mum Margaret as well as her children Shannon, 11, Chloe, eight, Mia, seven, Amy Lee, five, Arthur, three, and Liam, 11 months.

Gourock councillor Lynne Quinn says the decision to stop accepting general waste at Gourock was taken back in March 2020 but delayed because of the pandemic.

She said: "It had been passed and that was a saving that has been made. So if it was reversed we would need to find a saving from somewhere else. That is the kind of decision we are having to make."

She fears that the Broomberry Drive depot could face even more cuts. 

Cllr Quinn said: "What I am doing now is fighting to keep recycling in Gourock at all. That is the argument I will be making.

"It is a vicious circle, you get one budget out of the way and you are facing more cuts."

"Craigmuschat as a centre seems to be really popular with people and Gourock needs a recycling centre, that is the priority.

"The council are increasing the items that can be recycling and that should help cut down on waste."

Inverclyde Council says the decision to stop general waste disposal at Craigmuschat was taken as a budget saving but also to encourage recycling, with recyclable materials still being accepted at the site.

A spokesperson said: “All households in Gourock should have access to either a wheelie bin or black bags to dispose of general waste. Inverclyde’s main recycling centre at Pottery Street in Greenock remains open to accept general waste and also a wide range of recyclable materials."