Free skips to tackle fly-tipping open in Walsall

Starting on Saturday two skips were placed in separate locations in Walsall to encourage residents to hand over bulky handhold items instead of dumping themin the street.

The skips will now be in place every Saturday for the next 10 weeks as a trial period at different locations each week.

For the first Saturday of the new scheme the skips were in place from 9am to 11am at the council depot car park on Pelsall Road in Brownhills and the Oak Park car park on Lichfield Road.

The first customer to use the Brownhills site was Stephen Watkinson, who lives nearby and was drawn in by the skip being free to use.

The 37-year-old said: “I was willing to pay £15 for them to come and collect it but I saw this and brought it here instead.

“It’s a fridge freezer so it’s hard to get rid of, and the scrap men obviously don’t take them.

“This is a lot closer for me than the tip I normally use so it works for me, if it’s here I’ll use it regularly.

“It’s better than the council having to fetch rubbish out of the fields, to bring it here should hopefully be better for people.

“Fly-tipping is a bit naughty isn’t it, it’s not right, they shouldn’t be doing that, as you can take it places, or pay, it just so happens that this one is free.” Residents can bring up to three bulky items when they visit the skips, including furniture, mattresses and fridges.

The trial is limited to one skip visit per household over the 10 weeks and residents have to book a spot in advance by calling 01922 653355.

The last booking for the skip day is taken at 1pm the Friday before.

Next week, on January 26, the skips will be at Pelsall Common on the junction on Norton Road and Victoria Road and the Shelfield Park car park on Parkstone Close.

The scheme forms part of three trial initiatives.which were passed by the council during last September to combat fly tipping.A trial for free bulky item collection has already been looked at, while in Spring this year tip opening hours will be extended