Rubbish Tip News

You may remember I complained some ago about the Rubbish Tip below is the Reply

Dear Mr Clarke

  

Thank you for your recent email to Cllr Mike Whiting, which has been passed to me for attention.

The continuing pressure on the public purse has made it necessary for the County Council to review its operational policies concerning access to our household waste recycling centres. This is due in particular to the cost of trade waste abuse at our sites, which has been costing Kent taxpayers over £500,000 each year.

Unfortunately trade waste is generally indistinguishable visually from household waste, and it is essential to give site staff clear and unambiguous policies to administer at each of the 19 sites across the county. With this in mind, a year-long cross-party review concluded that it was necessary and proportionate to put in place robust measures to exclude the small minority of traders which continually sought to commit fraud by misrepresenting waste.

Such measures are becoming the norm throughout the UK as a means of preventing trade waste entering household waste recycling centres.  Whilst the vast majority of Kent's residents are perfectly law abiding, the financial impact on the Kent taxpayer of the actions of a minority of transgressors had become unsustainable, and consequently the difficult decision was taken to tighten up the access rules.

From 1 October 2012 the use of commercial type vehicles including vans and pick-ups at our sites has been prohibited. However, as you have rightly pointed out, some households do not have the luxury of a second vehicle. In these cases we do have an exemption scheme whereby owners of small vans and other similar commercial type vehicles can apply for a supply of vouchers to allow them to continue to access our household waste recycling centre sites.

Like you, we did have some concerns that this change in policy might result in an increase in fly-tipping. However, I am pleased to be able to advise you that this has not proved to be the case, and that this is borne out by independent fly-tipping data for Kent published by the Environment Agency.

I am very sorry that your daughter has been inconvenienced by this necessary change. I also regret that you may have experienced poor customer care from the contractor's staff at the household waste recycling centres, and I should be grateful if you would provide any details to me; I shall  ensure that a full investigation is carried out into the matter.

Yours sincerely

Roger Wilkin

Head of Waste Services

Waste Management

Kent County Council

Internal: 7000 5986

External: 01622 605986

Mobile: 07850 662746

www.kent.gov.uk/recycling