People ‘using friends’ cars’ to use nearest tip and ‘avoid 34-mile round trip’

Gloucestershire residents are “resorting to subterfuge” in order to use their nearest tips by “borrowing the cars and number plates of other people from a neighbouring county”.

The issues of county borders blocking residents from using their nearest household recycling centre was brought up at a Gloucestershire County Council meeting this week.

People living in the Newent division are currently prevented from using the tips in Ledbury and Ross and instead are faced with 34-mile round trips to use their nearest household recycling centre in Gloucestershire.

Councillor Gill Moseley (LD, Newent) told the environment scrutiny committee on July 8 that the introduction of a booking system during the coronavirus pandemic means Gloucestershire residents have since been blocked from using their nearest tips which are in Herefordshire.

She asked if Shire Hall chiefs could work with Herefordshire Council to set up an arrangement which would allow her constituents to use the household recycling centres in Ledbury and Ross.

“The Herefordshire tips in Ledbury and Ross are within a few miles of many of the residents in my division,” Cllr Moseley said.

“But they are not allowed because covid made it for many tips an appointment only system. It means anyone out of county from Herefordshire is not allowed to use the tips.

“It means in effect, many of the residents in the Newent division have to make a 34-mile round trip instead of a couple of miles up the road.”

She said the same problem has cropped up with people wanting to use their nearest tips which are over the border in South Gloucestershire.

“Has any advance been made in contacting and enabling that access? Surely it must be in the interest of sustainability,” Cllr Moseley said.

“How is it an incentive to have to spend 34 miles in your car when it is just up the road? It can lead to not going to the tip and tipping elsewhere.

“Or subterfuge, which I know it is resorted to with using other people’s number plates or cars, which isn’t really what we want to be doing.

Sarah Danson, head of environment and waste, said they have not spoken to Herefordshire over more than 12 months about that issue and they could reopen those talks.

She said they have more recently spoken with South Gloucestershire who introduced their own booking system.

“We have said we would have another conversation with them in September when they have time to see how the booking system goes,” she said.

“They weren’t particularly keen, we have that arrangement.”

She said the county has a longstanding cross-border arrangement with Warwickshire and they pay them to allow North Cotswold residents to use their sites.

“That has all worked out OK,” she said.

“All we can do is keep having those conversations and see what we can do.”

Nature, climate and waste reduction cabinet member Martin Horwood (LD, Leckhampton and Warden Hill) said the situation was a “nonsense” and he is keen to speak with other councils to solve the issue.

“Clearly we need to get this sorted out. It’s a nonsense for people to have to take these journeys,” he said.

“It’s much more environmentally friendly for people to be able to use their nearest household recycling centre.

“I’m absolutely committed to speaking to neighbouring counties to get this sorted out.”

A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council said they seek to work with neighbouring counties where possible.

“Wherever possible we seek to work collaboratively with neighbouring local authorities while ensuring value for money for our residents whose council tax is used to fund our Sort It recycling centres and pays for the disposal of the waste,” a spokesperson said.

Herefordshire Council has been approached for comment.