TAXPAYERS are paying more than 300 per cent extra to clear up fly-tipping in some areas since a council allowed its waste site managers to charge for disposing of soil, rubble and plasterboard, it has emerged.

Papers set to be put before Hambleton District Council’s cabinet state the costs associated with removal and disposal of fly-tipped materials had risen significantly for all seven district authorities in the county since North Yorkshire County Council ended free disposal of building-type materials at its recycling centres in 2014.

Opposition county councillors said the rise in costs for district councils for fulfilling their fly-tipping clearance responsibilities was a direct and foreseeable consequence of the council council’s move to save up to £330,000 a year.

Liberal Democrat councillor Bryn Griffiths said: “We warned this would happen – the chickens have come home to roost, and the additional cost district councils are facing isn’t even the total cost of the fly-tipping as landowners pay for it if it’s not on a road or public land.

“I have overheard people say ‘I’m not paying to dispose of my waste’. Unless the county changes its charging policy this will continue.”

A report to Hambleton councillors said costs had risen between 22 per cent and 302 per cent across North Yorkshire authorities between 2014/15 and 2016/17. It states Hambleton had seen a 93 per cent rise in the cost of clearing fly-tipping in one year alone – from £23,028 in 2015/16 to £44,485 in 2016/17.

The report stated: “Whilst incidents of fly-tipping of household waste had decreased, there had been an increase in the incidents of fly-tipped tyres and construction waste. This showed a direct correlation with the implementation of charging for these materials at the North Yorkshire County Council-run Household Waste and Recycling Centres.”

After a public consultation about introducing the fees in 2014, it was found 83 per cent of respondents felt the centres should still take those materials and 56 per cent agreed a charge should be levied at all sites.

At the time, Councillor Chris Metcalfe, the county authority’s waste management boss, the county could no longer afford to pay for the materials disposal.

Ian Fielding, the authority’s assistant director of waste and countryside services, said the key points raised in the consultation were that “some people believe any restriction or charge will lead to increased flytipping, this will in turn reduce savings or increase costs...”.

Harrogate Borough Council, on behalf of district councils in the York and North Yorkshire Waste Partnership, and 11 parish and town councils also raised the fly-tipping issue.

Responding to the Hambleton District Council report, the North Yorkshire authority’s leader, Councillor Carl Les, said while it was possible the rise in fly-tipping costs were linked to the policy to charge for some waste disposal, those behind the fly-tipping were acting illegally.

He said: “I feel very disappointed that people are committing criminal offences rather than disposing of their waste responsibly. I am not convinced people who commit illegal acts will stop if we stop charging at the recycling centres.”