Rosemount businesses have hit out after being “threatened” by Aberdeen City Council about waste collections in the area.
Fionna Kinghorn, who has owned Salon 225 on Rosemount Place for nearly six years, spoke to The Press and Journal about the “bad experience” she has had with the local authority since summer last year.
The hairdresser says she is unhappy with the council’s waste policies and has been left with a £500 fine – which she is refusing to pay.
It is alleged that some of the businesses on the street were “threatened” with fines if they did not sign up for business waste collections in October.
This came months after council officials told owners they should not be using residential bins without paying.
Options include paying £4 per month (£208 annually) to use residential bins or have their own wheelie bins.
The businesswoman thought this did not apply to her due to having little waste and she was shocked when she was fined last month for not complying with the rules.
Fionna told The P&J she was visited by a council senior compliance officer last month. She claims they told her she received emails – like other businesses – warning her to get it sorted, although it transpired that they were not sent to her.
She claims “she never got them” and they were sent to a woman who rents a chair at the salon.
Visit from council officials ‘rude’
The business owner from Ellon described the visitors as “rude” and “very threatening”.
She claims he told her: “We’re here to impose a £500 fine because you haven’t complied with the business bucket.”
“They are (Aberdeen City Council) saying that regardless of who they’ve sent the emails to, I’ve still got to pay this £500 fine because it’s my own fault.”
The Salon 225 owner usually takes the little rubbish she has home due to the nearby bins being full.
“Other shops have got all the buckets out the front, so I just thought they’re probably not going to bother with me because I don’t have enough waste,” she said.
Miss Kinghorn feels the situation is “very unfair” and that she has been “picked on”.
She says she has salon-owning friends in other parts of the city centre who use residential bins with no issues.
She insists she does not mind paying £4 per week to use the residential bins as it is “not expensive”.
An Aberdeen City Council spokesman said: “We are in contact with the business owner and would not comment further on a legal process.”
Other businesses paying for bins in Rosemount
However, she feels it does not make sense, saying: “I’m using residential bins, I’m paying to use the bins that I would have been using anyway.”
Owner of hairdresser La Reve, Debbie Rose, is now having to pay to use bins despite never having to in the 15 years that her business has been running on Rosemount Place.
“All of a sudden, randomly, these two people came in and said I had to start paying for bins because they were being abused,” she told The Press and Journal.
Ms Rose added: “If the bins were overflowing I wouldn’t put my rubbish out, I would just keep it here.”
Rosemount Gallery owner Mark Gask opened up in Rosemount in September 2023.
He says he has been “inundated” with emails about fines.
Calling the bin situation a “council money-making exercise”, he says he does “understand” the reasons behind it.
Rosemount businesses get visits from council over bins
He claims council officials made two “random” visits to the premises last summer to enquire about the bin situation.
Describing it as being “bullyboy tactics”, Mr Gask wants solutions from the council and not just words.
“We have some practical issues, such as where do we keep the bins? They never came up with a solution for us.
“I understand there’s a plan, there’s a problem, but a solution would be handy,” he said.
Mr Gask added: “This is a time when the council should be supporting businesses, not having more red tape.
“We’re all paying enough anyway. We’re in desperate times in retail and these additional costs are just frankly challenging,” he said.
What is the waste policy?
The council’ls website tells business owners: “Your duty of care for waste means that you have a legal responsibility to make sure that your businesses waste is stored, transported, recycled, and disposed of in a way that does not harm the environment.
“If we believe you carried out a specific action, or failed to carry out an action in contravention of commercial waste regulations, you could be issued with a fixed penalty notice of up to £500.”
When did the council bring in these waste changes to the Rosemount area?
“All businesses have a legal requirement to manage their waste and recycling appropriately and comply with Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and are responsible for understanding and complying with their legal responsibilities. The council supports businesses to build knowledge of and awareness of these legal responsibilities.”
Information about waste regulations is available online.
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