Oxfordshire County Council presses ahead with damaging changes to Recycling Centres

Oxfordshire County Council is pressing ahead with changes to the county’s Household Waste Recycling Centres. More than 1,100 people have signed my petition opposing the changes.

From January residents will have to prove they are resident in the county or face a £15 charge. This is in addition to a decision already taken by the council to introduce a booking system. In the future residents will have to sort more waste on site, more charges will be imposed, some vehicles banned and recycling centres will be open for fewer days.

Earlier this week I wrote to the Lib Dem Leader of Oxfordshire County Council to reiterate my concerns that these changes will increase the risk of fly-tipping.

Read my letter to Oxfordshire County Council in full…

We have already seen this week one of the most audacious acts of waste crime with the huge dumping of waste near Kidlington, now being investigated by the Environment Agency.

This is clearly the result of organised crime, but criminal fly-tipping is big business and can start small. Residents finding it harder to dispose of their own waste properly may be tempted by illegal waste carriers who then go on to dump waste, causing environmental damage and adding to the costs of victims and the tax payer.

I am disappointed that the County Council has not listened to the concerns of so many residents who simply want easy access to the local facilities they pay for, whilst also increasing the risk of crime.

Thames Valley’s Rural Crime Task Force are working with local councils, the Environment Agency and landowners to tackle organised waste crime. If you have any information about fly-tipping visit gov.uk/report-flytipping.