Charges for out-of-county tip visitors agreed

Oxfordshire's household waste and recycling centres will charge out-of-county visitors from January

People who live outside Oxfordshire but use the county council's waste and recycling centres will soon be charged £15 per visit.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the local authority's cabinet agreed residents would be required to provide proof of address at its seven centres from January.

A number of additional rules, including around charging for waste containing asbestos, have also been approved.

Council cabinet member Judy Roberts said the plans would "provide greater value for money for our council taxpayers and improve our residents' already excellent recycling rates".

But in a letter to the leader of the council, Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber said greater restrictions could lead to a "significant increase" in illegal fly tipping.

Mr Barber said he feared the "complexity" of the new system would "simply increase the risk of waste crime within the county."

His comments come after a significant dumping of illegal waste, close to the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire.

In response, Ms Roberts said other authorities had implemented similar measures and there had been no increase in fly tipping.

Councillor Judy Roberts said the plans would "provide greater value for money"

New rules have also been added for those using vans and trailers to drop off waste and recycling.

Prearranged permits will be needed and the maximum size of trailer will be reduced to 2.4m long.

"Cement-bonded asbestos" will be added to the list of chargeable items, with customers paying £5.50 per square metre and limited to three visits per year.

No horseboxes will now be permitted and vans with business branding will only be allowed if it is the customer's only vehicle.

Users will also no longer be able to dump mixed general waste and will instead need to use a designated area to sort their rubbish.

The council said staff would help customers sort their items, in an attempt to increase recycling and save items that can be repurposed.

A planned reduction to tip opening hours was delayed until after a three-month closure of the Redbridge site next summer for "essential works".