Over 1000 people sign Lib Dem petition to axe DIY waste charges in Surrey
A petition set up by Liberal Democrat county councillors calling on Surrey County Council to axe its charges on residents disposing of DIY waste has attracted over 1000 signatures in just over 2 weeks. The petition was set up after the Government, as part of a wider consultation on fly-tipping, stated that "The Government's view is that residents should be able to dispose of household DIY waste free of charge" and "The Government will consider clarifying the law if councils continue to charge for disposal of reasonable amounts of DIY waste". The County Council introduced the unpopular charges, dubbed the "Tory Tip Tax", in September 2016 and earlier in January this year ended the daily allowance for local residents to dispose of waste for free.
Cllr Stephen Cooksey, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Environment & Highways said:
"I am delighted that so many people have signed this important petition but disappointed that the Conservative Cabinet here in Surrey continues to charge residents for disposing of DIY waste. At a Council meeting this week, I challenged the Cabinet Member on these charges but received no assurances that the County Council would be proactive and abolish these charges ahead of legislation requiring them to do so. Surrey County Council should not wait for the government to force its hand but instead put residents first and make it easier for them to do the right thing by announcing that these charges will be abolished immediately".
NOTES
A link to the petition can be found here:
A copy of Cllr Cooksey's Council Question and the response can be found here: