Council links HWRC charge to fly-tipping rise

However, Spelthorne borough council, which has drawn the link in a report to councillors this week, says it has ‘no evidence’ of a direct correlation between the two issues.

Charges at nine of Surrey’s 15 HWRCs were implemented as part of a programme of cost saving initiatives implemented since 2015/16 (see letsrecycle.com story). The Charlton Lane HWRC, which falls within Spelthorne borough, is among those to implement the charging structure.

Charge

Under the policy residents were given a free daily allowance of waste from home repairs of one bag or one sheet of plasterboard, however, charges are levied on items above this threshold, ranging from £5 for an individual tyre, or £50 for a car load of material.

Materials including breeze blocks, bricks, rubble, soil, stones, turf and tiles, are included within the remit of the charge.

According to the council’s report, the cost to the council of clearing fly-tipped material has risen over the corresponding period, from £76,000 in 2016, to more than £92,000 in 2018.

In terms of individual incidences of fly-tipping, this has risen from 735 fly-tips in 2016, to up to 1,050 in 2018.

The report noted: “Whilst we have no evidence to suggest that these changes in 2016 to tipping points for businesses local to Spelthorne and the surrounding area has had a direct impact on the number of commercial type fly tips it is reasonable to accept that this is possible.”

Surrey council has recently consulted on the future of a number of its four HWRCs – prompting a U-turn on plans to close a number of sites, as well as a proposed price increase on some of the charges (see letsrecycle.com story). This came after a series of objections raised during a consultation which began in October 2018.

HWRC charges has been a controversial issue in the local authority sector, with some councils opting to introduce charges as a means of keeping sites open, despite some claims that this may lead to an increase in fly-tipping. A survey by the resources body WRAP in 2017 found a ‘limited link’ between the two issues (see letsrecycle.com story).