Council could cut opening hours at county tips

Council leaders in Herefordshire do not rule out cutting the opening hours across the county’s tips to help save £200,000 next year.

Herefordshire Council is looking to make savings in the way it operates the household waste sites by increasing some of its fees and changing the way they are run.

Officers say the use of the booking system will result in less out-of-county and trade waste – both of which have not be allowed but have always been tolerated, despite the additional cost to local taxpayers.

However, council leaders say they may have to reduce opening hours if this is not successful.

Deputy Conservative group leader Nigel Shaw proposed using £200,000 from the council’s new homes bonus fund instead.

“For their council tax, many rural residents receive few apparent services. Roads yes, a bin collection every week, which may soon be changed, and the odd streetlight.

“One of the few services available is the ready access to the household waste site where we may want to encourage waste minimisation that cannot be at the cost of increased flytipping.

“Flytipping has increased by over 50% in the last 12 months. The cost savings proposal could well incur more costs for the council in enforcement than it saves.

“This loss of service is not reconciled with the funding saved. There will be gratituted from many households if the amendment before you is passed.

“Those households in Ledbury and Bromyard will be especially grateful as their sites are only currently open for three days a week.”

Commissioning, procurement and assets cabinet member Gemma Davies said councillor Shaw’s amendment would hinder plans to improve transport in Hereford.

She told the meeting that the reduction of opening hours would be the last option.

“I find it astonishing that at last week’s full council meeting many of the opposition spoke so passionately about the importance of getting Hereford city moving.

“There are now amendments that seek to take away money from the very fund recommended by the general scrutiny committee to be spent on active travel measures for the city to deal rapidly with these issues.

“The savings identified include reduction of opening hours, but we will be looking at other ways in which to achieve this in the first instance.

“The booking system, for which we have had significant positive feedback has allowed us to prevent disposal costs for waste from neighbouring counties and trade waste.

“We are still doing the sums, but it is likely most of the savings can come from the booking system due to the amount of trade and out of county waste.

“We are investigating a couple of other avenues, but reduction of hours will be the very last option and it won’t be without proper debate.”

Coun Shaw’s amendment to the budget was rejected by 29 votes to 22 with one abstention.