A local MSP has called for the end of the online booking system at a recycling centre.

Jackson Carlaw, Scottish Conservative MSP for Eastwood, wants East Renfrewshire Council to return to pre-Covid arrangements at the Greenhags household waste recycling facility in Newton Mearns.

During the pandemic, the council introduced an online booking system for visits to its recycling centres to comply with legal restrictions.

This meant residents could no longer turn up unannounced and had to pre-book a slot at one of the facilities.

Although the final legal Covid restrictions in Scotland ended on May 1, 2022, the council decided to maintain the booking system for its recycling facilities, including Greenhags.

In August 2023, Mr Carlaw questioned why the council had not reverted to the pre-pandemic arrangements.

He made further representation in October 2024, calling on the council to discontinue the online booking system.

Mr Carlaw said: “I am strongly of the view that the remaining Covid arrangements at Greenhags in my constituency should be scrapped with residents again able to visit when it is most convenient for them and to no longer be restricted by what slots if any remain available through the online booking system.

"Constituents have approached me to state that it can be very challenging to reserve a suitable slot and it is often the case that the recycling centre at Greenhags is fully booked.

"I am entirely unimpressed by the council’s decision to maintain the online booking system and the current set-up is significantly inferior to what was in place before the emergence of Covid."

The council, however, defended its decision, stating the system has delivered benefits for residents, including a quieter site and limited road congestion problems.

An East Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: "The booking system at our household waste recycling centres in Greenhags and Barrhead provides various control measures, allowing us to ensure that only East Renfrewshire residents can use the facilities and that traffic on site and in the surrounding areas is safely managed.

"It also helps us monitor misuse at the site and prevent commercial companies tipping, which in turn reduces our waste disposal costs."