Lib Dem County Councillors challenge permit system for household waste

9.10.35pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 19th Sep 2006

Lib Dems have challenged the County Council's decision to make residents get permits if they want to take DIY waste to local recycling sites.

In 1998 Bucks County Council introduced height barriers to prevent commercial vehicles dumping waste in these sites but, in the face of complaints from 4 by 4 drivers and increased fly tipping, they have gradually increased the height of the barriers and now leave them open at weekends.

How many items of household waste here?

The Council's new plan was to remove the height barriers but restrict DIY waste to 3 items per household per month rising to 6 DIY items a month if you apply in advance for a permit. The Council estimated that 10% of waste taken to recycling sites is actually commercial waste and under this scheme it could be charged for.

The Liberal Democrats were concerned that this plan will cost more than £200,000 a year but could only save a maximum of £400,000 if all the assumed commercial waste was stopped. Also anyone with more than 3 items of DIY waste and no permit would be turned away from the site.

Because of these concerns the decision was "called in" by the Liberal Democrat County Councillors and the decision is now being reconsidered. Lib Dems argued that there were guaranteed extra costs but no guaranteed savings, and all simply to meet the concerns of 4 by 4 drivers.

Lib Dems think this is a typical example of the many poor commercial decisions made by Tory Councillors. What is more, it will inevitably lead to more fly tipping when unhappy residents with more than 3 items of DIY waste are turned away from the tip.

Latest news is that it is likely that the limit on DIY items will be raised to a normal car load, which will address the fly tipping problem, but the permit system is to be retained because the Council had already appointed the staff to issue the permits!