North Yorkshire Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs)

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1 North Yorkshire Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) Changes at HWRCs Business and Environmental Services

2 From 1 April 2016 we will be making changes to the services we provide at HWRCs in North Yorkshire in order to reduce costs by 150,000 per year. We have to do this to realise savings in response to continuing reductions in government funding. The changes are: new opening times; charges for vehicle tyres; and introducing a HWRC permit scheme (at Stokesley HWRC only). Details of each of the changes are described below. New opening times HWRCs have been open until 7pm between April and September, and until 5pm in October and March, but from April 2016 they will close earlier. This is the quietest time on site, so closing earlier will help save money without significantly reducing the service we provide. From 1 April 2016 the new opening times for all HWRCs will be: April to September am to 5pm; October to March* am to 4pm. HWRCs will remain open each day except 25 and 26 December and 1 January, and will continue to be closed on Wednesday of every week. 2 Charging for vehicle tyres We receive about 20,000 vehicle tyres per year at our HWRCs. We currently accept them free of charge although we do not have a responsibility to do so and the government has stated that tyres are not a household waste. There are many commercial tyre disposal alternatives available through car service/ repair centres and tyre replacement companies but if you wish to continue to take advantage of the service at your local HWRC then you will be charged to allow us to recover the cost of disposing of them. Charges will be introduced on 1 April 2016 and are the same at all North Yorkshire HWRCs. Charges start from 1.70 per vehicle tyre (up to and including a car, caravan, motorcycle tyre etc.); these will be revised as appropriate. *Note: The changes do not take effect until April 2016 so HWRCs will close as normal at 5pm in March How to pay On arrival a member of staff will check the number and type of tyres you have and advise how much you have to pay. Do not empty your vehicle until payment has been made. All payments must be made via debit/ credit card and no cash or cheques will be accepted on site. Tyres should be placed into the designated areas which will be marked with the sign shown opposite. This is so these materials can be recycled. If any tyres are mistakenly placed in the waste for landfill or any other container a charge will still be made. Will charging affect any other types of waste? The charges will apply to vehicle tyres from 1 April Charges already apply to hardcore, rubble, plasterboard and commercial wastes and these will increase from 1 April What happens if I can t pay? If you are unable to pay you will be asked to leave the site with your waste and to return later with a means of payment. You will not be allowed to dispose of any chargeable materials unless you can pay. You will of course be allowed to dispose of any household waste free of charge. What if I don t want to pay? If you don t want to pay you will be unable to dispose of your vehicle tyre(s) at the HWRC and will have to use another disposal option such as through car service/repair centres and tyre replacement companies. What are you going to do if I leave my waste outside the site and refuse to pay? By leaving the waste outside the site you are fly tipping. This is against the law and can carry a fine of up to 50,000. Most sites have CCTV and site staff are instructed to gather evidence of anyone fly tipping waste for possible prosecution. Have you taken into account the cost of clearing the fly tipping? We do not expect these changes to increase fly tipping. Most people are responsible and will continue to deal with their waste lawfully. We made changes to HWRC opening hours and have introduced charging for some materials before, and there was no significant increase in fly tipping as a result. In fact, fly tipping across North Yorkshire is reducing. However, we will keep a careful watch on the amount of fly tipping and will continue to work with colleagues at the district councils and the Environment Agency to deal with it effectively. 3

3 HWRC permit scheme - Stokesley HWRC only We know that Stokesley HWRC is used by a large number of people from outside North Yorkshire. HWRCs are provided for North Yorkshire residents and are paid for through their council tax. Councils can charge residents of other areas to use their HWRCs, or simply stop non-residents using HWRCs and a number of Councils surrounding North Yorkshire have chosen to do so. 4 We have decided that we cannot continue to take waste from outside North Yorkshire at Stokesley HWRC without recovering our costs, but do not want to prevent people from using the site that is most convenient for them. So, from 1 April 2016 we will be introducing a permit system for North Yorkshire residents to use Stokesley HWRC, and we will begin charging people from elsewhere. When you use Stokesley HWRC, you will need to display your HWRC permit in your vehicle; this will identify you as a North Yorkshire resident. A HWRC permit was posted to all households in the Stokesley HWRC catchment area in March North Yorkshire residents who live outside of the catchment area can request a permit by contacting us using one of the contacts at the end of this leaflet. The HWRC permit allows you to continue to dispose of household waste at Stokesley HWRC without being charged. Charges for nonhousehold waste such as vehicle tyres, hardcore, rubble, plasterboard and commercial wastes will still apply. How do I get a HWRC permit? Residents in the catchment area of Stokesley HWRC should have received a HWRC permit with the letter we sent out to households in March If you did not receive a HWRC permit, and wish to use Stokesley HWRC please contact us using the details at the end of this leaflet. Is there a cost for a permit? No, the HWRC permit is provided free to North Yorkshire residents. What do I do with the HWRC permit? You must display the HWRC permit in your vehicle whenever you want to use Stokesley HWRC. Photocopies will not be accepted. Does the permit have to be used in a particular vehicle? No, you can use the HWRC permit to deliver your household waste in any vehicle. If you want to use a commercial/ commercial like vehicle to take your household waste to the HWRC then you must also display a commercial/ commercial like vehicle pass. Further information on registering commercial/commercial like vehicles can be obtained by contacting us using one of the contacts at the end of this leaflet. What types of waste can I take to Stokesley HWRC? The HWRC permit allows residents to dispose of household waste free of charge. Anyone, including residents and charities disposing of hardcore, rubble, plasterboard, vehicle tyres or any waste from a trade, business or commercial operation will be charged as appropriate. For information on the types of waste that can be disposed of at our HWRCs go to Can I use other HWRCs with my HWRC permit? We have not introduced a HWRC permit scheme at our other HWRCs yet. We may do so in future but as a North Yorkshire resident you can use any HWRC provided by North Yorkshire County Council. You only need to display your HWRC permit to use Stokesley HWRC. Why is the HWRC permit numbered? Each HWRC permit is allocated to an individual address and remains the property of North Yorkshire County Council. They are numbered so we can keep track of which address they have been issued to. 5

4 What if I move house? If you move house within North Yorkshire and still require your HWRC permit take it with you and contact us with your new address. If you move house and no longer need to use Stokesley HWRC or move outside of North Yorkshire, please return your HWRC permit to us. If you have moved to a property within North Yorkshire and need to use Stokesley HWRC please contact us. Contact details are at the end of this leaflet. How long will the HWRC permit last? The HWRC permit has no expiry date, but we may provide new or replacement permits at any time. Will I get turned away from Stokesley HWRC if I do not have a HWRC permit? If you do not display a HWRC permit HWRC Recycling Advisors will ask you to prove you are a North Yorkshire resident. You will be able to do this with a copy of a formal document such as your council tax bill or other correspondence with your address on. You will then be allowed to dispose of your household waste free of charge. You will only be allowed to do this once and you must ensure that on your next visit you display a HWRC permit otherwise you will be unable to use the HWRC without being charged. If you continue to use Stokesley HWRC and do not display a HWRC permit you will be charged for disposing of your waste. Payment can only be made at the HWRC using a credit/debit card. Can I get a refund? North Yorkshire residents can obtain a HWRC permit and claim a refund by sending a HWRC permit refund form (available on site) including supporting documents to the contact address on the form. We will then issue a HWRC permit. A refund will be given but only once and must be claimed within one month of your visit to Stokesley HWRC. Refunds will not be given for the cost of disposing of hardcore, rubble, plasterboard, tyres or any commercial waste. HWRC permits can be issued throughout the year, so if you don t have a permit you will still be able to get one by contacting us using the details at the end of this leaflet. I drive a van do I need a permit? Yes, you need to display a HWRC permit to use Stokesley HWRC. If you want to use a commercial/commercial like vehicle to take your household waste to the HWRC then you must also display a commercial/commercial like vehicle pass. Further information on registering commercial/commercial like vehicles can be obtained by contacting us using one of the contacts at the end of this leaflet. Can I use North Yorkshire HWRCs to deliver waste for a neighbour, family or friend? You may deliver household waste belonging to a North Yorkshire resident providing you do not advertise the service or receive payment in connection with the waste. As the waste is not your waste, you must complete a declaration form to tell us where the waste has come from (available from the HWRC site office). You must also: display a valid HWRC permit if you are delivering waste to Stokesley HWRC (yours or the permit issued to the address where the waste has come from) if you use a car; and display a commercial/commercial like vehicle pass if you are using a commercial/commercial like vehicle. Contact us using the details shown at the end of this leaflet if you need advice about delivering someone else s waste. Will people living outside of North Yorkshire be able to use Stokesley HWRC? People living outside North Yorkshire will be able to use Stokesley HWRC but will be charged for their waste. How much does it cost to issue permits? Permits are issued free to residents of North Yorkshire. There is a small cost to the Council to issue the permits but this is only about 5% of the amount we expect to save by charging residents of other areas. Where can I dispose of commercial waste? All HWRCs accept commercial waste. A charge will be made for some types of commercial waste, however to encourage re-use and recycling certain types will be accepted free of charge. For information on commercial waste disposal ask a member of site staff or contact us using the details at the end of this leaflet. 6 7

5 Where is Stokesley HWRC? Stokesley HWRC is at: 8 Ellerbeck Court, Stokesley Business Park, Stokesley, TS9 5PT HWRC Contact us Waste and Countryside Services, North Yorkshire County Council, County Hall, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8AD Our Customer Service Centre is open Monday to Friday 8.00am pm (closed weekends and bank holidays). Tel: customer.services@northyorks.gov.uk web: If you would like this information in another language or format please ask us. Tel: customer.services@northyorks.gov.uk /16