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June 2016
System could lead to more fly tipping, residents claim By Olivia Taylor
CONTROVERSIAL plans by Kirklees Council have left locals concerned that the Valley’s fly tipping problem will only get worse. From July 11 if you are not registered you will not be able to dump your rubbish in any of Kirklees waste sites. The council has had a permit system for a number of years, but this has varied depending on the site. A spokesperson from Kirklees council said: “If someone turns up to a site after July 11 and has not registered they will first be reminded. “If someone continues to try to use a site and is not registered, or they are not eligible to register, then site staff have the authority to refuse entry.”
Kirklees Council has introduced the plans to tackle the issue of trade waste abuse and the ‘lending’ of permits to businesses, friends or family outside of Kirklees. Disgruntled local, Michael Foster Jones, said: “My concern is that any additional bureaucracy will inevitably cause a few more people to fly tip and discard their waste thoughtlessly. “The vast majority of the population are good people and will do the right thing, unfortunately a tiny minority can make life unpleasant for others.” “What we need to be doing is making more dumps available to more people for longer hours. “Why be concerned about local authority boundaries? Fly tippers don’t have that concern. Why charge trades-
people to dump? Let’s encourage them to dump responsibly.” Cath Ingham, from Holmfirth, believes the new rules will not cause an influx of fly tippers, and may be a result of budget cuts. She added: “The tips are for domestic waste so all you have to do is register and then carry on as normal. “I can only assume neighbouring authorities are imposing restrictions and Kirklees has to do likewise. “I know it bores some people to say this but budgets have been slashed and this may be the cause. The brainless idiots who fly tip would do it regardless.” Registration is an online only process and must be completed by July 11. To register visit kirklees.gov.uk/ wastepermit
A cabinet member said: “The majority of fly tipping is carried out by illegal traders. These are companies that take waste for a fee and then instead of disposing of it legally choose to fly tip it. “We would encourage anyone who employs someone to remove waste to check that they have a waste traders license, and find out where they will be taking their items.” “Recent changes to the service will allow us create four reactive teams to deal with any incidences of fly tipping or overflowing bins. “The updated permit system should have no impact on fly tipping as Kirklees residents can still use the council’s household waste sites to dispose of waste that has not been generated through trading for free.”
Lucky fans will have the chance to meet 70s heart throb Merrill Osmond face to face later this month. Merrill will perform at the Holmfirth Picturedrome on Friday, June 24 – and if that wasn’t enough, he has agreed to donate an hour of his time to raise funds for the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice. Before he performs, Merrill will host an exclusive meet and greet with fans. Fans can pay £50 a head to meet the singer and also get an official picture – with 50 per cent of the proceeds going to the hospice, and the other 50 per cent to a charity of Merrill’s choice.
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