Reading Borough Council
Reading tip: Councils crack down on dumping trade waste for free
New permits and charges will be introduced at Smallmead and Longshot Lane recycling centres in Reading and Bracknell n September
Linda Fort
Recycling at Smallmead Household Waste Reclying Centre in Island Road, Reading
Traders with trucks and vans visiting Smallmead and Longshot Lane tips will have to have a permit from September.
Following changes to the rules governing the running of the recycling centres in Island Road, Whitley, and Longshot Lane, Bracknell, anyone driving up in a "commercial or commercial-type vehicle" will need a permit.
Small charges for "non-household waste" are also being introduced.
The first change forms part of a crackdown on trade waste being dumped at the recycling centres for free.
re3, which runs the waste disposal contract for Reading and Wokingham Borough and Bracknell Forest Councils , has calculated that if even just one per cent of what is deposited at the recycling centres came from traders, then it would still cost council taxpayers £68,000 a year to process it.
People living within the council boundaries of the re3 contract who want to drive to the recycling centres in anything other than a car - or a car with a single axle trailer – will now be asked to apply for a permit before each visit.
Only people living within the Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell Forest boundaries will be able to apply for a commercial vehicle permit.
Commercial vehicles including flat-backs, tipper and long wheel-base vans may not be eligible for the permit scheme and sign-written vehicles may not be allowed to deposit waste relating to that business.
The current system of allowing commercial vehicles access to the recycling centres during specific hours is open to abuse from traders passing off their van loads as household waste. The current system, where larger vehicles can gain access between 2pm and 4pm, can also worsen queuing during those times.
Existing height restriction bars will be replaced by rising barriers at both Smallmead and Longshot Lane and over-height time restrictions will come to an end. These measures should distribute visitor numbers more evenly over the day, minimise queuing and allow people with high vehicles to visit the recycling centres more conveniently.
re3 says it is unfair to ask council taxpayers and trade waste compliant businesses to foot the bill for unscrupulous firms who use the system as a way to get rid of their commercial waste for free and the new permit scheme is bringing re3 in line with what is happening at recycling centres elsewhere.
Longshot Lane Waste Recycling Centre
Similar van permit schemes are already running in neighbouring council areas including Hampshire and Oxfordshire.
The second change is the introduction of small charges for some non-household waste at the recycling centres.
Councils are entitled to charge for the disposal of this type of waste and in order to produce much-needed savings, re3 has taken the decision to do so.
People can still dispose of all other household waste free of charge at the recycling centres.
But small charges will be introduced for things like soil, rubble, plasterboard and asbestos to cover the cost of managing this type of waste.
Watch re3's project manager Oliver Burt speak about recycling changes
The charges are being made to help mitigate some of the cuts in council funding.
They are part of a new policy which also bans people living outside the three council boundaries - like those in West Berkshire - from using the recycling centres.
They should also act as a deterrent to those traders who try to dump trade waste for free at the recycling centres.
Do you think these new rules are fair? Comment below
Reading Borough Council's lead councillor for neighbourhoods Councillor Liz Terry said: "These changes to the recycling centres have been difficult decisions to make, but come at a time of rising demand for council services and severe cuts in funding.
"We have taken a close look at how we can make essential savings and improve efficiency at our recycling centres, and these new measures are being adopted to ensure that we continue to provide a fair, effective and value for money waste processing service."
Wokingham Borough Council's executive member for environment Cllr Angus Ross said: "We've thought long and hard about this and we want to make sure it's fair for our residents.
"We've carried out research at other authorities around the country and similar changes appear to have worked well."
Details of how to apply for a trade permit – as well as the charges for non-household waste – will become available nearer to the implementation date, currently scheduled for early September 2016.
For more information on the re3 recycling centres, please visit http://www.re3.org.uk.
Bracknell Forest Council
South Reading