Call for free bulky waste collections to return in Peterborough

A working group of city councillors has recommended allowing households up to one collection of five items free a year.

The council introduced £23 charges for bulky waste collections in 2010 (now £23.50), but last year brought back free collections for a three month trial. However, council leader Cllr John Holdich said the trial made no difference to the amount of fly-tipping, with the only result being the council missed out on £40,000.

Now, though, a cross-party group wants to see free collections re-introduced permanently, albeit residents wanting additional collection may need to fork out more than they do now.

The group’s recommendation is for collections of one to three items - after the initial free collection - would cost £15, rising to £30 for four to six items and £45 for seven to the maximum 10 items.

A background article from the Nottingham Post, which is included in the group’s report, states that fly-tipping in Nottingham reduced by more than 42 per cent from 2013 to 2016, which Nottingham City Council put down to the introduction of free bulky waste collections.

Fly-tipping on council owned land in Peterborough costs the authority more than £200,000 a year to clean up. There were more than 10,000 collections of fly-tips in Peterborough in 2017/18.

The working group was set up by Cllr Holdich to find new ideas to tackle the problem, which is blighting areas across the country.

It has previously made several other recommendations, which have been accepted by the council Cabinet, including buying six infrared covert cameras to place in problem areas and putting up crime scene style barrier tape around fly-tipping incidents to highlight that action is being taken.

To read all of the recommendations, visit the council’s website.