Fears over plans to close tips on Wednesdays

Council proposals to reduce opening hours at recycling centres will "inevitably lead to a continued rise in fly-tipping", opposition groups have warned.

Norfolk County Council (NCC) is consulting on closing recycling centres on Wednesdays to save £200,000 a year.

The Green Group on the council described the proposals as a "false economy" and warned that a potential rise in disposal costs would outstrip savings.

In 2022/23, the number of reported fly-tipping incidents in Norfolk rose by almost 3% , external but the authority said this was less than figures for the eastern region as a whole which "were up 4%".

"Instead of making it harder for people to responsibly get rid of rubbish, Norfolk's council should prioritise ways to prevent fly-tipping," Councillor Jamie Osborn, deputy leader of the Green Group at the council said.

"This should involve free or lower-cost collections, especially for people without cars, and issuing fines against people and businesses caught fly-tipping."

Earlier this month NCC agreed its budget for 2024/25 which included £41.5m of proposed new savings, external. Its total budget is almost £2bn.

County Hall said it continued to face "very significant pressures" caused by underfunding, rising costs driven by inflation and an increase in demand.

Terry Jermy, a Labour county councillor for Thetford, said he would like to see the council make it easier for residents to dispose of waste.

"We've already seen reductions in opening hours, the closure of sites and introduction of charges for DIY waste which the county council reluctantly had to scrap at the last minute," he added.

NCC said Suffolk County Council had not seen a reported rise in fly-tipping since it closed its tips on Wednesdays.

A spokesperson added: "Although reported incident numbers of fly-tipping in Norfolk were up by 2.8% to 11,058 in 2022/23, across the eastern region incidents were up 4%.

"Small fluctuations of this level year on year are usual."

Norfolk has 19 recycling centres, 13 of which are open seven days a week and six are part-time.

The council's consultation runs until 22 March, external.

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