Busy car park could close at night after £4k bin set on fire for second time

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The Hill Top car park in the Bathgate hills could be closed at night after the £4000 smart bin at the site was set on fire for a second time.Bathgate Local Area committee heard that council cleansing crews were now having to attend three times a week to clear the car park, also known as Gordon’s View.Said to be popular spot for star gazing, the car park is also a magnet for car loads of teenagers at night, and fast food packaging litters the site.The car park, off a quiet back road high above the northern edge of the town, has also been used regularly for fly-tipping.But local councillor, the SNP’s Willie Boyle, said he would have concerns about proposals to close the car park - arguing that it wouldn’t deter littering in the Bathgate hills - and questioned why an expensive smart bin had been left in such a remote spot.He told the meeting: “I’m concerned about attempts to close the car park.

Why would we put a £4000 bin in remote car park where it might better serve in a built up area. Putting it in a remote area it’s being left to be vandalised.”Operations manager Andy Johnston explained that the reason the smart bin had been put there was to collect the fast food cartons that make up the bulk of the rubbish being left.

The bin compacts the rubbish and alerts council staff when it is full and needs to be emptied.”Mr Johnston said: “There was a lengthy debate about whether the gate should open or closed at night.

In the last six or seven months there’s been a fair amount of vandalism. The smart bin has been set on fire a couple of times, vandalised and fence posts torn down.“On three or four occasions we have had to go up and clear fly tipping.