Powys council launches PR offensive over tip farce

Powys County Council has launched a public relations offensive as anger mounts over the planned introduction next month of a controversial new scheme to book times to use household recycling sites like Potters in Welshpool.

The new 10-minute slot system will come into play from April 1, with charges also being introduced for certain waste like DIY rubbish.

A similar booking system has already been binned by Shropshire County Council after just three months, and opposition parties at County Hall like the Independents and Conservatives have seen this as an opportunity to point score with motions submitted to delay its introduction.

A petition has also been launched to reverse the decision with over 4,000 signatures.

But this morning, Powys County Council is fighting back by releasing a full explanation of why it is coming in, and also answers to some of the most common questions they have faced.

“The upcoming changes to the way we use the Household Recycling Centres from April 1 have been widely reported, but some confusion around the new arrangements is still circulating on social media,” said Cllr Jackie Charlton, Cabinet Member for a Greener Powys.

“Change is always a challenge to begin with and we appreciate that some are feeling a little confused about how the booking system and charges for DIY waste at recycling centres will affect them.

“The most up-to-date place to check for details on how the recycling centres will run from next month is the council website (https://en.powys.gov.uk/HRC).”

Residents will be able to book their first time slot, for visits after April 1, from March 25.

Here are the answers provided by the council to some of the most common questions and statements: 

It’s a nice day and I’ve decided to have a clear out, but because of the booking system I won’t be able to visit the recycling centre today?

On average, there will be over 170 bookable slots at each recycling centre for every day they are open. Although you can book a visit up to seven working days before your visit, it is highly likely that you will be able to book a slot to visit your chosen recycling centre for the same day. This can be done quickly and easily online or over the phone during office hours.

A 10-minute time slot won’t be long enough for my visit to the recycling centre?

Other local authorities also use 10-minute time slots, and their experience suggests this should be plenty of time for you to recycle all your waste correctly. Some people will be in and out in a couple of minutes, and others may take a little longer and that will be okay - staff will be able to make allowances to accommodate this. The length of the time slots will be kept under review and adjusted if necessary.

But when booking systems have been introduced elsewhere, they never work?

On the contrary, the vast majority of booking systems introduced in other counties are working well. Despite the change in approach in Shropshire, feedback gathered in resident surveys of other local authorities confirm residents are very happy with the system once it has settled down. In fact, in a recent survey by a council in North Wales, 81% of residents ranked their new booking system as excellent, and 83% are in favour of keeping it in place.

Why are you making it more difficult for us to recycle?

Change is always seen as a challenge at the start, but it will soon become second nature and remembering to pre-book a time slot will make your visit to the household recycling centre more efficient. You will spend less time queueing, it will be less chaotic and safer on site and staff will have more time to help you recycle your waste correctly, if needed.

If I want to book my visit over the phone, I bet I won’t be able to get through to the helpdesk, and it’s closed at weekends?

Booking online is a much quicker way to book your visit and will allow you greater flexibility if you need to alter or cancel your booking. Other councils have reported that over 98% of bookings are made online and we would encourage Powys residents to do the same. This means that the council’s call centre won’t become overwhelmed and will be able to cope with those who genuinely need to book over the phone. 

Why should I have to pay to use the recycling centres, isn’t that what my council tax is for?

Using the recycling centres to recycle your household waste (waste created in the day-to-day running of your household) is still free of charge.

DIY waste is classified as industrial waste and, as such, dealing with this type of waste is not covered by council tax. However, we understand that as a result of small home DIY improvements, residents can produce this type of waste, and we will therefore continue to accept it at our HRCs, with a small charge to offset the costs of handling and processing.  DIY waste is currently less than a third of what goes through the sites and much of this is larger amounts of soil and rubble. It is not fair that all council taxpayers should have to subsidise residents carrying out big projects or where tradespeople have left their waste with householders.

There is not a charge for every type of DIY waste, and we will accept small amounts of soil and rubble and wood for free (one bag per visit). A full list of materials and charges is available online.

The introduction of charges for DIY waste is just a way for the council to make more money.

The recycling centres cost a significant amount to operate, with an annual cost to the council in excess of £2.5 million each year. Costs include staff, purchase and maintenance of skips, haulage of materials, maintenance of the site, as well as conforming with all necessary legal, environmental, and health and safety regulations. Some materials taken to the sites do generate an income but they are in the minority and go towards offsetting the overall cost of delivering the service. Most materials will incur a cost to process for recycling, although this is of course far better for the environment and usually cheaper than disposal. 

These changes at the recycling centres will lead to more fly-tipping.

Where other local authorities have introduced booking systems and charges for DIY waste at recycling centres, there has not been a correlation between the number of reported fly-tipping incidents and the implementation of the changes. Independent studies have also suggested that there is no evidence to suggest that fly-tipping will increase.

In 2021 WRAP conducted a study on the relationship between fly-tipping rates and recycling centre charging (WRAP conducted a study on the relationship between fly-tipping rates and recycling centre charging ). This research found no evidence of an association between fly-tipping and charging for DIY waste at recycling centres.

In 2023 the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) carried out a study on possible links between recycling centre booking systems and incidents of fly-tipping. Surveys and interviews carried out with local authorities found no evidence of a link between booking systems and fly-tipping.