YP Letters: Waste charges will only mean more fly-tipping

Will waste disposal charges increase or reduce flytipping?

I WAS appalled to read that Leeds City Council is shortly planning to impose charges ranging from £1.50 to £80 for the disposal of certain types of waste at council recycling centres, in addition to the current £20 charge made for bulk waste household collection.

This will have a dramatic effect on the increase in fly-tipping.

What can this Labour-controlled council be thinking? It is certain that they have no common sense.

I recognise that finances are tight and the council has to make difficult decisions, but this is absolutely incredible.

Whatever extra money they expect to raise will be dramatically offset by the  cost of administration for  such a scheme with all the security cameras, extra staff,  the costs of clearing up  fly-tipped waste and the cost of prosecuting the very small minority of fly-tippers that they do catch.

I understand Nottingham Council has, in the recent past, introduced a free fast response home collection service for  large bulk waste and this has reduced fly-tipping by nearly 50 per cent, and saved a considerable amount of money when all these costs are looked in to.

If it is right for Nottingham, why not Leeds?