A councillor is fighting to help restore a service that helps thousands of elderly people across Glasgow maintain their gardens after it was scrapped by the council.
Labour councillor Bill Butler said “13,000 vulnerable households across the city have been let down” because of Glasgow City Council stopping the service - and pledged that he would not "let this lie".
On Tuesday, August 10, the council confirmed there are no plans to resume the Assisted House Garden Maintenance Scheme, which was suspended during the pandemic last year.
Councillor Butler said residents aged in their 80s and 90s have been told there is no longer help available to tidy their green spaces.
He said: “The scheme made it possible for folk to enjoy their garden. It delivered an essential service to the most vulnerable households. It cost £1.4 million annually and was money well spent.”
The council argued that "significant financial challenges" caused by the pandemic meant they had no plans to restart the service.
Councillor Butler put forward a motion at a recent council meeting calling for the local authority to find ways to deliver the same level of service again.
The meeting was adjourned due to technical problems so the motion was not dealt with.
But Councillor Butler, representing Garscadden and Scotstounhill, said: “We are not prepared to let this lie. It is an important issue and has widespread support across the city.”
A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “A garden maintenance service has always been in addition to the standard services provided by the council.
“Many other councils have either scrapped their garden maintenance service or often charge householders an annual fee for the gardening work undertaken.
“In 2018 a review of the service by Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership led to funding being withdrawn and it was concluded that supporting gardening work was not a core health and social care service.”
He added: “Efforts to identify a sustainable, alternative source of finance proved to be unsuccessful and with the city entering the covid lockdown last year, a decision to suspend the service was taken.
“The council continues to experience significant financial challenges and at this stage we have no plans to resume this particular service.
“We are currently looking at other options where assistance could be offered to those who have no recourse to any other kind of gardening support such as from family members or a housing association.”
