ARGYLL and Bute Council may have to fork out more than £20,000 to remove dozens of silver bins in Helensburgh that are no longer "operationally suitable".

A report to go before local councillors has recommended that they agree to the removal of around 40 bins in the town, which have been augmented by black cabinet-style facilities.

It was suggested last year that the silver bins could be moved to Arrochar, but the document states that they are no longer viable for use elsewhere.

Funding for their removal would come from surplus CHORD funds – but that money has previously been allocated to encapsulated models of the PS Comet, and a flotilla of comets rescued from lighting columns.

Those models are currently being held in storage, and councillors are invited to consider what happens if their funding is allocated elsewhere.

The report will go before Argyll and Bute Council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee at its meeting on Tuesday, December 10.

Executive director Kirsty Flanagan said: “As part of the public realm improvements in Helensburgh a number of years ago silver bins were installed in the streetscape and concreted into place.

“These bins have proven to be neither durable nor operationally suitable, with the result that additional cabinet style bins have been procured and placed out alongside them.

“The cabinet style bins are more durable, are consistent with other public bins across the area, and, because they use a traditional wheelie bin inside the cabinets, have a standard 240-litre capacity and are therefore larger than the silver bins, as well as being much easier and therefore more efficient to service.

“The removal of the silver bins, because they are concreted in place, is not straightforward and there are costs associated to this for excavation, removal and reinstatement. There are around 40 of the bins around the town. The costs have been estimated at £21,016.

“These works could be undertaken by our local roads team after the turn of the year. It has been suggested that the bins could be taken for use elsewhere, but they are not considered viable for use elsewhere for the reason noted above.”

Ms Flanagan added: “There is £28,000 left in the CHORD surplus funds budget, the management of which sits with the local area committee. This funding has previously been allocated to an encapsulated and lit model of the PS ‘Comet’ along with the ‘flotilla’ of ‘comets’ which were rescued from the old lighting columns.

“All of these are currently held in storage by Wave Particle on behalf of the council until a decision as to how they are to be installed/displayed is taken.

“If members wished to reallocate funding towards the removal of the silver bins, it would be important to consider any potential fees associated to the storage of the above items given the length of time they have been stored for the council by Wave Particle.”

Ms Flanagan also said that councillors should consider what will happen to the items.