Council waste charges 'lead to increase in fly-tipping'

Council charges to collect bulky household waste are responsible for an increase in fly-tipping, new figures suggest.

The majority of local authorities now charge households to pick up their garden waste and unwanted items that are too big to fit in a wheelie bin.

Across England, the number of fly-tipping incidents reported by councils have risen for three years in a row, Government figures show.

But Nottingham City Council, one of the few that does not charge for bulky waste, said there had been a 42 per cent fall in fly-tipping rates in the city since 2013.

The local authority said its free collection for large items ranging from furniture to televisions was a "major factor" in the reduction of items being dumped.

A spokesman said there was an“immediate” reduction in fly tipping when they introduced free bulky waste collections in 2013.

Residents simply make an appointment for collection, so it is picked up at a planned time and not left out on the street.

Cllr Sally Longford, from the council’s Neighbourhood Services, said: “We’re very proud of being one of the few local authorities in the country to be offering free bulky waste collections in the face of ever-increasing cuts to our budgets.

“We were named as the cleanest city in Britain in 2014 and this is a further commitment to continuing the very high standards we set ourselves on behalf of Nottingham residents and visitors.”

Dumped items range from black bags to van-loads of rubbish, and include tens of thousands of electrical or white goods and green waste.

But as councils face ongoing financial pressure, many have introduced increased charges for bulky waste or garden waste collections, which may once have been free.

Three-fifths - 60 per cent - of local authorities with responsibility for rubbish collections impose costs for picking up waste from the garden such as grass cuttings and pruned branches, with charges of up to £96 a year for a bin collection service, a freedom of information request revealed.

More than nine out of 10 councils charge for collecting bulky waste, with prices varying dramatically from just a few pounds for a single item to more than £100 for a number of pieces of rubbish or even a van-load.

Only a small number said they did not charge for picking up large items of rubbish from households or offered a number of free collections a year before charges kicked in.

Lichfield and Tamworth councils in Staffordshire are among the latest to bring in paid-for garden waste services, starting in January.

Despite fly-tipping being against the law, only 2,135, or 0.2 percent of cases, resulted in prosecution last year.

The majority of items illegally dumped on roads and in public places were household items such as fridges, tyres and vehicle parts.

Nearly £50 million of taxpayers' money was spent clearing up the mess.

An Environment Department (Defra) spokeswoman said: "Appropriate charges for garden or bulky waste collections are a decision for individual local authorities.

"We are clear that these should be applied in a fair and proportionate way."