Frail Edinburgh residents told to pay £75 for grass and hedge cutting

Published on Saturday 27 February 2010 11:10

THOUSANDS of pensioners across the city have lost a free gardening service because of council cutbacks.

An estimated 3,000 residents aged over 80 who own their own homes have been told that they will now have to pay 75 for grass and hedge cutting.

The move has sparked outrage among residents, many of whom are too frail to maintain their own gardens or cannot afford to pay for the service.

Les Starkings, 83, from Balerno, who has been receiving the service for three years, has very little mobility and has to walk with a stick.

He said: "I'm lucky if I can walk 50 yards. My wife is approaching 80 so there's no way she can do it and we don't have any family.

"Quite honestly, I'm appalled at this. When you consider all the money that's being wasted, now I'm being asked to mow my own grass when I'm not able to.

"I look around me and see so many things that are a waste of money, yet all of a sudden they are withdrawing this because they say they can't afford it."

Former councillor Bjork McKenzie, 88, suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and is partially blind.

She has also been told she will have to pay for the service if she wants to continue getting her grass and hedges cut by the council.

The Inch resident said: "I'm disgusted. I got the letter (on Thursday] and couldn't believe it.

"I need help so I'll have to pay, but I'm lucky that I can afford to pay – other people can't.

"I'm so angry. I was 14 years on the council and we were all about trying to help people.

"We have had free help for so many years under Labour and now we have got this."

Ronald Patterson, 82, from Gracemount, added: "All I have got is my pension.

"I do appreciate it getting done – surely there are other things they can cut instead?"

The decision to axe "garden aid" for the over-80s – which is not considered to be an "essential" service – was part of the budget process agreed by the council earlier this month.

The move will save the council 100,000, but council chiefs insist that paying 75 per year for the fortnightly visits during the growing months is good value for money.

They say that it is still heavily subsidised, with Glasgow City Council's scheme costing 145 per year.

A council spokeswoman said: "Protecting essential services has to be our priority."

Colinton and Fairmilehead councillor Jason Rust has asked for a report to be prepared on the new charging structure.

He added: "While accepting of the need for the council to look at ways to bring in additional income, I do want assurances regarding the impact for elderly and disabled residents who own their own homes."

Voluntary organisation Care and Repair runs a garden share scheme, which elderly or disabled people who have difficulties managing their own gardens are able to use.