By MP calls for waste sites to re-open as fly-tipping increases
MP John Healey has urged the Government to issue revised guidance allowing councils to reopen household waste sites, as local cases of fly-tipping soar during the lockdown.
Doncaster Council closed its Household Waste Recycling Centres at the beginning of the lockdown due to safety concerns. It has not issued a date of when these might reopen.
In a statement, the a council spokesperson said:
“Despite repeated requests to only travel for essential reasons, HWRCs across the borough remained very busy and crowded, and therefore this difficult decision has been made for the safety of staff and the public.”
Mr Healey says he has received numerous emails from residents who have contacted him with concerns about the rise in fly-tipping since the dump sites closed.
He has urged Communities and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick to give clearer guidance to councils on how to safely reopen the recycling sites which have closed at the start of the lockdown.
Existing guidance says authorities ‘consider whether priority sites can be maintained with restricted access’.
In a letter to Mr Jenrick, Mr Healey said:
“The lack of clear-cut guidance has led to a patchy response from local authorities and caused a domino effect of closures.
“Local authorities like Rotherham Council want to keep sites open, but have been understandably concerned that when neighbouring authorities close their waste sites they are forced to follow suit to avoid their services being overrun by residents from other areas.”
Other areas are also experiencing increased problems with fly-tipping to varying degrees. Councils across the nation now face the burden of enforcing fines and clearing up waste.
Mr Healey has asked for the government to make sure councils have enough resources to reopen these sites.
What do you think? Have you noticed an increase in fly-tipping since the start of the lockdown?
Do community waste and recycling centres provide an essential service?
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