Steve Palfrey, chair of ADEPT’s waste board, also warned that the consultation “pays lip service” to the consultation process because many councils will feel unable to comment because of purdah.
Defra’s consultation, published today (11 April), proposed banning charges on DIY waste and reviewing booking systems at household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs).
Defra says this will help reduce fly-tipping and littering of this material, which it says has risen by 20%, helping councils with the associated costs (see letsrecycle.com story).
Consequences
However, Mr Palfrey warned that if implemented, the measures will have “unintended consequences” because councils could have to fund DIY projects waste disposal at the expense of supporting vulnerable communities and individuals most in need.
He said: “Council finances are stretched beyond breaking point with rising inflation bringing even more pressure on local authority budgets.
“The recent WRAP report shows that there is no correlation between fly tipping and charging for non-statutory waste – the components of most fly tips could have been disposed of for free if taken to a HWRC”.
Earlier, two local authority groups also criticised the plans. The Local Government Association and LARAC both said they will lead to increased costs (see letsrecycle.com story).
Purdah
Mr Palfrey added that ADEPT “wishes to work with government to discourage fly tipping, which is a criminal activity, but this is not the answer and is simply one that local councils cannot afford to bear.”
He said the measures will require additional central government funding to implement and added that the timing of the announcement is concerning.
“Many councils will feel unable to comment on this due to the government’s own rules on how we have to behave during the pre-election period, so this pays lip service to the notion of meaningful consultation,” he concluded.
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