Councillor defends waste fees

A COUNCILLOR has criticised the Government’s plan to abolish fees for the disposal of DIY waste at public tips.

Some local authorities, including Oxfordshire County Council, charge for people to take DIY waste to household waste recycling centres, including the one at Crowmarsh, near Benson.

The Government said this discouraged householders from disposing of their waste in a responsible manner and encouraged fly-tipping.

But county councillor Freddie van Mierlo, who represents Watlington on the county council, said scrapping the fees was unwise.

Speaking at a Watlington Parish Council meeting, he said: “The small amounts that Oxfordshire County Council charges bring in about £500,000 a year.

“So when people drop off a bit of rubble, I think it’s £1.50 or whatever, £2 for a bit of plasterboard, it adds up substantially to the cost of running these centres and the Government, unsurprisingly, is giving us no money to backfill the hole.

“We’re praying that they don’t force us to change within this financial year and hope that it’s a change we can do in the next financial year. The money will have to be found somehow.

“A lot of people may perceive this as a good move but not everyone does DIY and those who don’t will now bear the cost through their council tax.”