Waste Wars! Hundreds of West Berkshire residents turned away from Smallmead
First week of ban sees 900 vehicles turned away
HUNDREDS of West Berkshire residents have been turned away from a rubbish tip in Reading after a new permit scheme was introduced last week.
A total of 900 vehicles were denied access to the Smallmead Recycling Centre after the ban on West Berkshire residents was imposed last Friday (July 1).
The move was in response to West Berkshire Council’s withdrawal of an annual £500,000 contribution that allowed their residents to use the centre.
The site, run by re3, recorded 10,847 visits in the first seven days of the new permit scheme at the Reading recycling centre, of which 900 vehicles were turned away.
The move has seen numbers of those looking to dump waste at the site drop by 14 per cent in just seven days.
Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham residents pay for the re3 recycling centres from their council tax with the local authorities looking to clamp down on the number of non-residents taking advantage of the facilities.
Reading Borough Council’s lead councillor for Neighourhoods, Liz Terry said: “We have been encouraged by the numbers of residents using the permits when visiting the Bracknell and Reading recycling centres.
"When they are displayed in car windscreens it certainly helps to make the ID checking process easier and quicker.
"We understand the frustration sometimes experienced by those we have had to turn away, but we will always allow access to re3 area residents on receipt of a permit or valid ID, and visitors from other local authority areas can still use their own council’s facilities to dispose of their household waste.”
Last week West Berkshire Councillors gave their backing to introduce an identical ban on Hampshire residents using Newtown Road Recycling Centre and Padworth Recycling Centre.
West Berkshire Council say they are implementing the move after Hampshire County Council withdrew £200,000 worth of funding to the West Berkshire waste facilities.
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