Calls to install a skip in the centre of a picturesque village to tackle fly-tipping has been ruled out.
Gardenstown was hit by a landslip during Storm Frank earlier this year, and the damage has forced the authority to close a waste collection and storage site.
Now, bin bags full of household waste are piling up in the Banffshire community, which is largely inaccessible to bin lorries.
Aberdeenshire Council is reviewing how to collect waste from the town, but a spokesman last night assured residents that cleaning teams would be visiting on a regular basis.
However, Troup councillor Hamish Partridge has asked for a temporary skip to be positioned in the village.
He said: “It is completely unacceptable, due to the hazard to health and the environmental issue it is becoming.
“Visitors to the village are greeted with rubbish scattered across the streets due to seagulls and wildlife ripping into the bags.”
The SNP councillor added that “immediate action” must be taken by the council.
The concerns were raised at a local area committee earlier this year, during which time manager Margaret-Jane Cardno told members that the remoteness of the village and the narrow streets “complicated” the creation of a waste recovery plan.
Last night, a spokesman for the council said: “We will ensure that cleansing teams visit Gardenstown on a regular basis to ensure the removal of any dumped waste, pending the implementation of a revised waste collection arrangement in Gardenstown.
“We will also monitor the waste to identify where it is coming from, so that targeted information can be provided.
“Residents are able to use the nearby household waste recycling centres at Macduff or Fraserburgh; these sites have facilities for recycling a wide range of materials.”
The spokesman added that providing an open skip for residents to dispose of waste in the village would pose a health and safety concern and “unfortunately” was not an option.