White van men in Oxfordshire are to have their trips to the tip limited in a bid to stop tradesmen using household recycling centres to illegally dump waste. The clearing of commercial rubbish dumped at the county’s recycling centres costs the taxpayers around £250,000 a year, according to local newspaper the Witney Gazette.
In an attempt to save money and tackle the growing problem, Oxfordshire County Council has announced that it will introduce to new permit scheme that will only allow people with minibuses, trailers and vans to visit dump sites 12 times a year.
The council hopes the scheme, which will come into force in November, will still allow residents to use the centres while shutting out tradesmen and builders who illegally dump trade waste.
The council reassured residents that they do not believe the scheme will lead to an increase in fly-tipping, with Cllr Chris Cousins, head of sustainable development, calling it a “commonsense proposal to tackle illegal behaviour.” He went on to say that it was unfair for taxpayers to fund illegal dumping and for traders abusing the system to have a competitive edge over their peers.
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