Concerned residents have launched a petition calling for the council to abolish proposed charges at community recycling centres throughout the county which would see visitors paying to recycle tyres and construction waste.

From September 1, visitors to Surrey County Council’s nine recycling centres – including those at Blenheim Road, Epsom and Randalls Road, Leatherhead – will have to pay £5 to recycle a tyre or £4 to recycle a waste bag.

From Thursday: Epsom and Ewell Borough Council fear introduction of recycling charges counter-intuitive to Surrey-wide fly-tipping crackdown

The council say this will save £1.8m a year as they look to offset the rising cost of adult social care in the county.

Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for environment and planning, Councillor Mike Goodman, said this rising demand for services was costing the council £24m each year.

Your Local Guardian:
Black bin bags of bricks which were dumped in Epsom

The county council’s introduction of recycling charges comes after a county-wide crackdown on fly-tipping. Some councils and councillors, including those at Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, feel the new charges may make people more likely to illegally dump their rubbish.

Janet Holah created a petition on Surrey County Council’s website calling for the abolition of the “exorbitant” charges. As of Thursday, August 18, her petition had been signed more than 200 times.

In the preamble to the petition, Mrs Holah wrote: “Only being able to take one bag per day will result in people making daily trips.

“How environmentally friendly is that? Hundreds of cars making additional journeys and sitting in queues at the dump.

“I don't think this policy has been thought through as, far from generating an income for the County Council, it will cost them as much, if not more, in having to clear up all the fly tipping which is sure to result.”

Councils across the country are appointing co-ordinators to help share intelligence on fly-tippers and step up enforcement. They are also considering using GPS mapping and portable cameras to help bring offenders to justice.

Your Local Guardian:
Reported incidents of fly-tipping across Surrey in the financial year 2014/15

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council fear the county council charging residents to recycle non-household waste may have an impact on fly-tipping.

The council’s latest figures for the first three months 2016/17 already show an increase on the last financial year with 216 fly-tipping incidents being reported in Epsom and Ewell.

Your Local Guardian:
A bath and a sofa were recently dumped in Chalk Lane, Epsom

A spokesman from Epsom and Ewell Borough Council said: “While we understand the reasons for the County Council’s introduction of charges for some items at the recycling centres, we are concerned at the impact this will have on fly-tipping.

“However there is no justification for fly-tipping, and this Council will do all it can to prosecute those involved in this anti-social, criminal activity.”

Cllr Goodman, said: “People can still get rid of one bag of DIY waste a day for free but with rising demand for services making money ever tighter - adult social care alone is adding £24 million each year – this particular change will save £1.8m annually while keeping all Surrey’s recycling centres open and affecting only those doing more significant construction work.”

To sign the petition, visit http://petitions.surreycc.gov.uk/Waste-charges/