Courtesy Barrhead News

A brilliant bin scheme is bringing a boost to nearly 300 households in Barrhead.

The town’s Craigheads estate has had its old wheelie bins replaced in what is a substantial environmental improvement project for the area.

A total of 270 homes are benefiting from the upgrade, which have been made as part of East Renfrewshire Council’s £500,000 mixed tenure improvement scheme.

This award-winning, innovative programme targets housing blocks where there is a mix of council tenants, owner occupiers and private lets.

Since being launched last year, it has delivered visible and long-lasting improvements to shared areas, with work being carried out by a ‘hit squad’, a group of young former jobseekers.

The scheme has breathed new life into more than 1000 homes, with closes painted, gardens spruced up and maintained, and fences and pathways repaired.

Now Craighead Way, Stormyland Way, Sunnyside Place and Dougray Place are among the streets benefiting from the scheme.

Previously, every household had their own individual bin for rubbish – meaning, come refuse collection day, hundreds of bins would be littering and blocking pavements and roadsides.

This ran the risk of the wheelie bins being vandalised or set on fire and made the estate look untidy as not all the bins would be removed once empty.

Now these bins have been removed and replaced with large steel bins for general waste.

Large new recycling units have also been brought into the estate. They accept paper, plastics, cardboard, cans and drinks cartons and have a mixed glass bank which takes brown, green and clear glass.

The council’s cleansing team has worked hard to make the improvements a reality and everything is now in place.

Convener for environment, Councillor Vincent Waters, said: “This has made a tremendous difference to Craigheads, bringing real improvements to the estate.
“It means we no longer have hundreds of bins out in the street, it’s cleaner and it minimises environmental problems.

“Craigheads now has a fully recycling service right on its doorstep, which clearly shows East Renfrewshire Council is committed to improving services and maximising recycling.

“Well done to the cleansing team for helping get this off the ground.”

Convener for housing, Councillor Danny Devlin, said: “This is just the latest example of how the mixed tenure scheme has been making life better for people right across East Renfrewshire.

“So many residents who’ve benefited from the scheme have told us how much of a difference it’s made, with more people taking pride in their shared areas now they’ve been cleaned and spruced up.

“It’s a fantastic programme and has really blazed a trail. No doubt we will see other councils follow our lead.”

The mixed tenure improvement scheme is the first of its kind in Scotland.