Recycling Centre Charges For Certain Items Start Today

Published on: 1 Sep, 2016
Updated on: 1 Sep, 2016

Charges are to be introduced at Surrey’s community recycling centres today (September 1) for some non-household items.

Surrey County Council is introducing the charges at the recycling centre at Guildford’s Slyfield Industrial Estate, and nine others across the county.

It will cost £5 to leave a tyre or part tyre from motorised vehicles, including motorcycles.

But Liberal Democrat county councillors have warned that the Conservative-run county council’s plans to charge the public for using Community Recycling Centres, as well as reducing their opening hours, could lead to even bigger increases in fly-tipping across Surrey. Recent figures show that fly-tipping across the county has doubled in the last two years, from 2093 tonnes in 2013/14 to 4441 tonnes in 2015/16.

Despite the changes, there will continue to be a free daily allowance of one bag (no bigger than 50cm x 77cm) of waste from home or garden construction or repairs (bricks, rubble, soil, stones, turf, ceramic bathroom fittings, tiles, and so on) and one single item such as plasterboard.

However, over that there will be a charge of £4 per bag of waste or £4 for one item or £4 for a sheet of plasterboard no bigger than 120cms x 240cms.

If materials are loose, a charge of £50 will apply per car load.

Payment will be by credit or debit card, no cash. Payment will need to be made before access is given to the chargeable containers.

There will not be a charge for general household waste and organic garden waste.

Surrey County Council says that increased demand for essential services, coupled with reduced government funding, has led to the charges while it aims to reduce spending in other areas.

For a full list of the types of waste that will be charged see SCC’s website.

There have already been concerns across the county that the introduction of the fees will lead to increased fly-tipping.

According to a Lib Dem press release, local residents are pointing out that these proposals make it harder for residents to do the right thing with their waste. They say the changes also contradict the Tory “5 More Priorities” statement which was released just before the last county council elections in 2013. It stated that: “We have delivered new and improved waste and recycling facilities across Surrey and will continue to protect our countryside.”

Cllr Hazel Watson, leader of the Lib Dems at County Hall in Kingston

Hazel Watson, leader of the Liberal Democrats at Surrey County Council, said: “Surrey residents wanted to retain the service as it was but this was ignored by the Tories’ slanted consultation last year. Instead we have a recipe for increased fly-tipping while at the same time the county council spends millions on buying property hundreds of miles away from Surrey and wasting residents’ cash on glossy magazines like Surrey Matters.

“These new charges and cuts will hurt our beautiful countryside and are just another let down from the Tories here in Surrey.

“We are calling upon the county council to drop these charges and reverse these totally short-sighted cuts that make it harder for our residents to do the right thing when it comes to waste. Liberal Democrat councillors will push for these changes at every opportunity and continue to monitor the dreadful impact that fly-tipping has across our county.”

A petition against the charges has been set up by Janet Holah and can be accessed on Surrey County Council’s website by clicking here.

To date, more than 4,600 people have signed it.

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