Opening county tips including Spalding for an extra day has been branded too expensive amid worries over fly-tipping.
The Reform-led Executive of Lincolnshire County Council is looking at how the Waste Recycling Centres, including the one on West Marsh Road, is run.
At a recent meeting of the authority the issue of fly-tipping was raised and Coun Kevin Clarke questioned why opening them for more than the current five days wasn’t an option.
Coun Danny Brookes, executive member for waste, though wrongly told the meeting opening the tips for an extra day would cost an ‘extra £2m every day’.
When The Voice asked about the figures, a county council spokesman clarified it estimated the cost of opening all 11 recycling centres seven days would be £2.5m a year.
“That’s £2m we haven’t got in our budget,” he said. “If I’d have put it in there people could have expected it to happen. But unfortunately there’s no chance, in the financial circumstances we are in, that’s going to happen.
“With regards fly-tipping, they break the law whether the tips are open or not.
“I don’t believe it’s anything to do with the days they’re shut.”
Fly-tipping was also raised at last week’s meeting of South Holland District Council where Coun Paul Barnes, the leader of the opposition South Holland Independents, said there were 366 reports last year and ’14 just last week’.
Coun Anthony Casson, that authority’s portfolio holder for the environment, said he ‘understood fly-tipping is going up all over the country’.
But Coun Jim Astill said that the number of fly-tipping reports locally decreased last year. He also denied that the authority’s move to wheelie bins and more recycling would lead to more fly-tipping, something described as ‘the most unpopular decision the council has ever made’ by Coun Chris Brewis, despite the fact a previous consultation by the council saw 49 per cent in favour of them.
“Our partner councils, particularly East Lindsey, didn’t see an increase in fly-tipping when they went to bins a number of years ago and there’s evidence others haven’t either,” Coun Astill said. “In 24/25 fly tipping was down so hopefully we’ll continue to see that trend.
“We’ve an engagement team going out educating on how to use the bins and we’ll continue our campaigns.”
- The meeting was also told there had been a delay in cleaning up the fly-tipping hot spot on South Drove just outside Spalding.
“Because of the rain The South Holland and the Deepings Drainage Board have been manning the pumps 24/7,” Coun Casson said. “The road was also closed for quite a while.
“They’ve been putting the bund up to stop people fly tipping and it’s made a big improvement. Yes, there’s still some down there but it will be cleared.”
- The meeting also passed an increase in fines getting large increases.
Littering: £250 (or £150 if paid within 10 days).
Graffiti: £300 (or £200 if paid within 10 days).
Fly-posting: £300 (or £200 if paid within 10 days).
Household waste duty of care breaches: £600 (or £400 if paid within 10 days).
