What in the name of the wee man do we pay taxes for?

They definitely are - https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/environ...epperton-community-recycling-centre#materials

 

We must be at cross-purposes here FC as that link says that the charges are for non-household waste.

 

It is for non-household waste, but that includes garden waste or DIY waste, which up until now Surrey residents could dispose of free of charge. I would imagine that your local tip is similar to ours where you have to show suitable ID to prove you are a resident, as non-residents and businesses are charged to dispose of their waste.

Here is the article that I referred to which reports the claims that have been made, that the charges are illegal - http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/liberal-democrats-attack-illegal-surrey-12106029

 

It's a backwards step FC, it's bound to contribute to more fly tipping. I haven't been to our local tip for a while now, it's an unpleasant experience anyway with long queues and grumpy staff. I'm going to bite the bullet soon as my late Father-in-laws flat needs clearing out, I'm not looking forward to it - it seems like paying twice.

 

Having read through every link you've posted it appears that they've only put a restriction on how much you can take to the dump at a time (apart from tyres, which are a no no ).

A short sighted view but something that can be handled. Although you say they allow 2 bags per day and I could only find reference to one per day.

When our local authority wanted to charge for collection of green waste bags (or bins) people started dumping their green waste along the roadsides (someone had suggested on social media that they do this) and the council soon changed their policy.

Taking stuff to the dump in this area has different rules. All garden waste is accepted (any amount) as it boosts the council's recycling targets. Building/construction waste is limited to one bag per visit. As a general policy nobody is asked for I.D. but they can ask for it if they thing that it is trade waste. Then a charge is made. don't know what they do about tyres.

Reading your newspaper cutting, it doesn't seem to say anything different.

With us being rural it's a 14 mile round trip to the dump so I rarely go there, but when I do things seem to run smoothly. I have noticed that they tend to keep an eye on the building/construction waste skip and very occasionally ask people to open up their black backs. Most of the time they seem to be quite helpful - apart from the time that I was dumping my office chair and another resident said that they would like it. One of the staff said that taking things from the dump is illegal. So I put it back in my car (hadn't put it in the skip yet) and told them to meet me outside.

 

Sorry @shiney, it was initially two bags but that was revised to one, and it was also initially said to be one bag per day not per visit. Either way, the net result is the same - the law abiding folks amongst us will take a bag at a time until we have gotten rid of our waste, which of course will mean a huge increase in visitors to the site as well as massively increasing the number of trips to and from the tip - - really environmentally friendly policy, not.....

For most folks, if they are having a large project done which involves a lot of construction waste, they are going to get a skip - nobody in their right mind is going to load their car with bag after bag of construction waste just to avoid getting a skip; however, what about those that have a smaller project that produces a few car loads of waste? A couple of years ago, when I replaced my shed, I smashed the old one to bits and took it to the tip in three or four car loads - - now, that would be classed as construction waste at £50 a car load. Would I pay £200 to dispose of a shed? Would I hell as like - I would burn the lot - and that would be another triumph in environmental policy from the councils.

I still say that the the main problem with things like this is that private companies and profits are involved - we are getting less and less of our various services that we pay for from our taxes, whilst those very same taxes are ever-increasing, and profits for the companies providing what remains of those services continue to rise. Something is very, very backwards.

 

Too true.

Unfortunately a lot of these rules don't work out to be environmentally friendly. Local authorities are all working to pared down parameters and can only look at the current bottom line. That's not the way you or I would run our own business but it's an unfortunate fact of life.

Some years ago I pulled down two sheds. I burnt them at the bottom of the garden. Even if I wasn't going to be charged for taking them to the dump it would have been ridiculously expensive (money and the environment) for me to make numerous journeys to town to get rid of them.

 

Same around here. Today on my commute to work I was stuck in a long queue as a dustbin lorry was crawling along the road. Eventually it attempted to turn down a narrow lane but then had to reverse back out to let another flipping dustbin lorry out. They looked identical. A few yards further down the road a third dustbin lorry was on the other side of the road!

Now this can't be good for the planet.

 

What a revolutionary idea! I suppose they'll soon put another tax on it!

 

We get two lorries one week (green waste and non-recyclables) and three lorries the next week (green waste, all recyclables except glass and a glass collection).

With one of my neighbours the bin men have trouble lifting the 'glass' box each fortnight!

 

We never have any food waste to put in the bins.

Peelings go on the compost heaps and any meat scraps/bones etc. are put on the lawn and Sarafi helps himself or, if he's not quick enough, the magpies and crows take it all away (bones and all).