Charge doubles on bulky rubbish

Tuesday 15th April 2008, 11:43AM BST.

trash.jpgCharges for bulky waste collection are set to double for residents in one Black Country borough, sparking fears it could cause an increase in fly-tipping.

Sandwell Council’s charge for the removal of one large item, including fridges or freezers, will rocket from £10.97 to £21.94.

The costs will stay the same for those in a range of concessionary groups such as pensioners. Council chiefs say the changes will reduce the service’s burden on council tax-payers.

Three staff previously dedicated to removing fridges will be redeployed elsewhere within the council as part of the overhaul.

This means collections of general bulky waste will only take place on two days each week instead of four, with a further two days for fridges and freezers instead of five. Councillors from the Neighbourhoods and Housing Cabinet Advisory Team are expected to approve the changes at a meeting on Friday.


  1. 1
    Sarah

    I’m not sure how it will increase fly tipping. The reason for having the service is because you can’t get the items in your car to take the to tip!

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  2. 2
    roy jenkins

    Dear Dear Dear, here we go again councillors and Chief Executives of councils have got so deep in debt with their crass actions yet again the public pay through the nose for the councils incompetence. When are the public going to wake up:))

    Get snouts out the trough party.

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  3. 3
    phil

    is this the same council who dont want to empty wastebins in case cleaners hurt their backs how about the workers who have to pick these bulky items up

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  4. 4
    Gordy

    “Councillors from the Neighbourhoods and Housing Cabinet Advisory Team…”

    Anyone else think that this and every other publicly funded body in the land could do with a visit from the Plain English Campaign?

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  5. 5
    Baggie Boy

    this will cause more fly tipping

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  6. 6
    Dave Philips

    Poster 1. This will encourage fly tipping because no one wants to pay to dispose of their bulky waste. And when the price has doubled its inevitable. Well done to the council once again.

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  7. 7
    BENNYBOY

    Well this sounds a very good business to start up. Estate car,van, or pick up and go around estates taking frideges and freezers for £10 each and fly tip them anywhere, as only a handfull ever get caught. Anyone would pay half the price of a Council to get shut of them and if caught you only have to say you only did it once and write a letter of appology. You know you won’t be sent to jail. I think I might print off a few fliers now.

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  8. 8
    Bob

    Suggest we hire a flat bed lorry, collect all the bulky items for a fixed fee of £10 and fly tip the lot on top of the council. Alternatively we can all chip in to have some of the council ( as bulky items) taken away and dumped.

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  9. 9
    Fev

    Unfortunately not everyone has a car, so the ones who can’t afford one, have to pay to get rid of unwanted items

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  10. 10
    Sarah

    My point is, surely if someone can get a bulky item in the car, they can take it to the tip where there is no charge. I don’t see why there is a reason to fly tip.

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  11. 11
    Jim G

    In the stone age it was found that leaders were needed to control communities, these were usually the strongest and wisest in the group, eventually we ended up with Kings and Queens that ruled countries, in modern day Britain we now have councils and councillors, these are neither wise nor strong, these weaklings never surface to face the people they are supposed to look after, they make rules that penalise us at every opportunity, all this council wants to do is fine the motorist, ensure that motorists cant park anywhere in the borough, wisdom? And they could never claim to be wise after all of our money they have wasted, they have consistently come bottom of the list when it comes to being judged as able to run the borough

    I remember when they first bought out this landfill tax, and all that rubbish that was being dumped round the streets, but our illustrious leaders would never admit to that fact, they even stated that there wasn’t a problem with fly tipping and they said that on a local radio station.

    This council doesn’t want to clean the streets, it doesn’t want to provide facilities for children to play, it doesn’t want to provide clean hospitals, it doesn’t want to do anything that would enhance the lives of the Sandwell residents, all these power hungry councillors want to do is punish the residents at every chance.

    Jim of Bearwood

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  12. 12
    Sparton 117

    Thats odd no one has told us in the office this is going to happen…

    Got to love working for SMBC they tell the papers before the staff

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  13. 13
    bilston wolf

    BENNYBOY
    you want a business partner.!!!

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  14. 14
    carl

    Well we the people run this country no-one ever thinks about that.. We could all go out and pickett the councils and say enough is enough thiefing sods….. get rid of the council tax becuase it’s so unfair not run right and if your poor you pay the same as some one who as millions totaly wrong also if i was in council everyone oaps after 60 would not pay council tax.. We can’t keep paying sandwell council big wadds of cash for some who are on 100 k a year for doing nothing but mess-up and look for more ways to take your cash of you… also gordon brown your days are numbered wish we could kick you out know a no vote in your abilty to run the country.. Sorry but i am angry…

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  15. 15
    FFS

    Carl,
    * If people don’t pay any council tax, where will councils get 40% of their money from? 40% less money for councils, = even less services than now.
    * Council tax is done on bands of housing. Big house = higher council tax. Small house = smaller council tax bill (google it if you don’t believe me). So someone in a small house would pay the same council tax as someone in a similar value house, but not as much council tax as someone in a more expensive house.

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