Council DIY waste charges abolished

tetrarch

This was announced bythe Environment minister Rebecca Pow on Sunday

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/council-diy-waste-charges-abolished

My LA (Kent County Council) have (as far as I can tell) not made any kind of announcement, acknowledgement or comment relating to this instruction. Do I assume that this is instantaneous and how do I prod KCC into making some kind of comment?

Regards

Tet

EssexExile

The article says "... will be removed." So not yet, maybe never.

serpico100

Abolishing the charges is not instantaneous. Legislation has to be changed to allow the Government to implement the blanket ban on local authorities charging for DIY waste, and many LA’s are waiting for this new legislation before they stop the charges. That is likely to happen later this year 

daveyjp

Changes like this have a financial impact so will have to be confirmed in the budget.

Earliest it will come in will be April 2024 as Government and Councils work on annualised budgets.

tetrarch

My take on this was this missive from HM Gov was just clarification of the 2015 decision

I also saw this from the Plymouth Herald website:

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/diy-charges-plymouths-chelson-meadow-8537196

Regards

Tet

CSI_Yorkshire

tetrarch said:

My take on this was this missive from HM Gov was just clarification of the 2015 decision

I also saw this from the Plymouth Herald website:

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/diy-charges-plymouths-chelson-meadow-8537196

Regards

Tet

Even that news article - and I'm not sure the local rag is the definitive source for government policy - says "will abolish" and not "has abolished".

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

The gov page is clear as mud given it says will abolish them then this at the bottom.

The Government clarified the law in 2015 that local taxpayers should not be charged for disposing of household waste at civic amenity sites – scrapping backdoor “tip taxes”. It has also repeatedly stated that councils should not be charging for such DIY household waste disposal either.

The changes announced today clarify that DIY household waste should be treated the same as household waste.

These reforms will protect the local environment by encouraging responsible waste disposal, whilst keeping down the cost of living for households.

Alfrescodave

daveyjp said:

Changes like this have a financial impact so will have to be confirmed in the budget.

Earliest it will come in will be April 2024 as Government and Councils work on annualised budgets.

Agree, but the financial losses due to not charging for diy waste will be insignificant compared to the savings in fly-tipping waste clear up.

subjecttocontract

I'd have thought Council Tax would have to rise to compensate for the loss of income ?

daivid

Its been free where I live as long as I can remember. We still get a bit of fly tipping unfortunately, perhaps commercial, or maybe too lazy to drive 15mins more to a recycling centre.

Nobbie1967

The official tip for my location charges, but the one for the adjacent area doesn’t. Luckily they don’t check where you live.