SEVEN years after councillors campaigned for it, DIY waste charges are being scrapped for residents of Reading and Wokingham.
New legislation coming into force from December 31, means that householders undertaking renovations will be able to dispose of their waste without incurring a charge. Businesses will still have to pay.
This clarifies government rules which had caused confusion across the country.
In January 2017, we reported a letter sent from the Department for Communities and Local Government to a councillor for Dorking South Council.
In it they wrote: “The Local Authorities (prohibition of Charging Residents to Deposit Household Waste) Order 2015 does indeed prevent local authorities from charging their residents to dispose of household waste and recycling at household waste recycling centres.”
Despite this, re3 recycling centres, in common with other sites across the country, have been charging residents for taking tiles, baths, and rubble, saying they were entitled to do so.
Now, the law has been clarified and the changes will mean a happier new year for anyone undertaking DIY work.
Residents taking their waste to re3 recycling centres in Longshot Lane, Bracknell and Island Road, Reading, will be able to deposit up to 100 litres of loose DIY waste, or one large item such as a sink or a bathtub in a single visit.
There will be a maximum frequency of four visits over a four-week period.
The DIY waste brought in by residents will be assessed at the site and any DIY waste that exceeds the allowance will be chargeable, at a normal rate.
In a joint statement re3 Joint Waste Disposal Board Members Cllr Karen Rowland, chairman of the Joint Waste Disposal Board and Reading Borough Council’s lead councillor for environmental services and community safety; Cllr Ian Shenton, Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for environment, sport, and leisure and Cllr Helen Purnell, Bracknell Forest Council’s executive member for the environment and community cohesion, said the changes would see costs rise.
“While we understand that these government changes will be welcomed by residents, the partial removal of fees will inevitably increase waste disposal costs,” they said.
“Disposal of DIY waste, such as soil, rubble, plasterboard or asbestos requires specialist processing and the fees we have been charging only recovered the cost of these expenses in the past.
“To effectively manage this change, re3 has made essential updates to the Recycling Centres booking process, enabling monitoring of the frequency of visits when DIY waste is being deposited.
“These changes should assist our Recycling Centres’ Meet and Greet staff to ensure that new rules benefit residents only, deterring commercial traders who are excluded from this free allowance.”
Residents of Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham Boroughs must have an appointment to visit one of re3 Recycling Centres.
From December 31, customers will be asked to confirm if they are depositing household DIY when making their online booking.
re3 Recycling Centre’s will be closed from 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve and are closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
