The Lib Dem Group on Surrey County Council has called for the Council to reopen its Community Recycling Centres with social distancing measures to avoid fly-tipping.
This follows the latest advice from the Government that stated that Household Waste Recycling Centres can be open, but should have social distancing measures in place.
Lib Dem Councillors are concerned the closure of local tips has started to result in a spate of very unwelcome fly-tipping, and there are incidents all over Waverley. In one incident in our borough, the pile of fly-tipped rubbish included a dead dog!
Local authorities are focusing on household rubbish and food waste and regard the collection of garden waste and recycling as less of a priority. This coupled with Community Recycling Centres being closed and people being at home, so having time for gardening and housework, and DIY has resulted in an increase in fly-tipping.
Lib Dem Group Leader at County Hall, Councillor Chris Botten, said:
“I am calling on Surrey County Council to reopen our Community Recycling Centres in a limited and safe manner to enable gardeners to dispose of their plant material and also for householders, who may be using the time at home to catch up with domestic jobs, to safely dispose of waste.”
“The County Council has been listening to concerns so far and I hope for a partial reopening of our community tips in the near future.”
With the modern CRC at Witley, social distancing could be a possibility IF the staff are trained properly (???) but at old third world CRCs like Farnham, which is basically just a row of old containers accessed by old rusting steps….no chance! Unless you only allow two or three cars into the site at any one time. The queue of cars would simply cause grid-lock. Just another example of how lack of investment has left this country’s infrastructure in a sorry state.
Sadly the reduction in opening hours at many of our recycling centres was causing problems before the Coronavirus outbreak. Across our borders, other councils were introducing number-plate recognition and turning away wannabe recyclers from using their facilities.
The pandemic is shining its light on infrasturcture that is insufficient for our needs. Whilst our councils are urging us not to light bonfires, how are we expected to get rid of our rubbish? It is now piling up all over the country of Surrey, much of it in country side-roads, and on privately owned land and woodlands. A fire hazard in the making?
Something has to give soon, and the Lib Dems are right to call for centres to re-open – and with a bit of common sense – and there is a lot of it about – centres could be opened if some simple rules were followed.
From a Labour viewpoint I’m not convinced the LibDems are right on this one. What about the workers’ health? Have the unions been consulted by the LibDems? A recycling centre employee will be required to go to work if they want to kjeep their job, risking their infection from an all-day stream of people. Why should they be forced to choose between work and safety?
As for the customers, we’re all supposed to be staying home unless we urgently need to go out for food or an essential job, and normal rubbish is being collected so we’re only talking about major items. In what way is taking them NOW to a recycling centre essential? Of course you shouldn’t be dumping it in a forest either, but there’s the centre operated by Guilford if you’re really desperate. But better still, hang on to it for a bit till the lockdown eases.
Perhaps you misunderstood. We believe the Lib Dems were suggesting the change WHEN the lockdown eases the centres should be among the first to get back to a reduced service. Thus easing the presure on many households who do their Spring clean at this time of year.
We cannot imagine any sensible person would wish to endanger the lives of council workers, all of whom could be adequately protected. Surely it is not beyond the wit of Surrey County Council to devise a method where the service could be offered safely? After all its huge staff are all working – presumably in their offices or at home at safe distances.Using basic common sense?
The way things are going, we are all more likely to become infected in supermarkets or when out for a walk, than we are at a recycling centre. Whether we like it or not – fly-tipping is on the rise and when the Government eases the lock-down RCC’s should be among the first to provide some sort of a service.