Why you will soon be charged for getting rid of some household waste at Leeds rubbish tips

People taking their household rubbish to recycling sites in Leeds will soon be charged for dumping certain types of waste, it has been announced.

Charges depending on items will be payable at rubbish tips under the new rules for "non regular household waste", Leeds City Council said.

Examples range from a single tyre, which will cost £1.50 to dispose of, to an £81.60 charge for a trailer-full of plasterboard.

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They come into force from February 5, and the chargeable waste includes rubble, plasterboard, soil and tyres.

The changes were agreed last year, as part of the council's Budget proposals for 2017/18, and bosses say the cash raised will now help safeguard "other council services".

It is the second year in a row that charges surrounding rubbish dumping have been introduced, after decision-makers in 2017 brought in a new £20 charge for council collections of bulky waste items - like fridges and sofas.

Regular household waste can still be disposed of at sorting sites as usual, under the council's permit scheme.

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The council had previously not charged residents for disposing of "non regular household waste" at its sites, while some neighbouring local authorities do.

Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, the council's executive board member for sustainability and environment, said: "With further financial pressures on the council year on year, the decision to bring Leeds in line with other local authorities and start charging for non-standard household waste at our sorting sites means we will be able to continue to offer this service.

“The council will make no profit whatsoever from the new charges. This will instead provide a reduction in our high waste disposal costs, and will enable other essential services to be protected.”

Payments for the charges will be made directly at the sites by debit or credit card, using a secure card payment machine.

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Examples of "non regular household waste items" that will require a charge from next month include:

- Ceramics, including toilets, cisterns, bidets, sinks, shower trays, ceramic wall or floor tiles, earthenware drains and sewer pipes.

- Rubble, hardcore and soil, including slates and roof tiles, sand, gravel, pebbles and stones, soil and clay, cement, mortar and rendering, concrete, tarmac, breeze blocks and bricks, paving slabs.

- Plasterboard and gypsum-related products, including plasterboard sheets, ceiling roses, bags of plaster and coving.

- Tyres

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Leeds has waste recycling sites in Kirkstall, Meanwood, Middleton, Otley, Pudsey, Seacroft, Wetherby and Yeadon.

Winter opening times are now in operation at council-run sites, which are open seven days-a-week, from 8am until 4pm.