North Yorkshire Council is considering whether to ban people depositing commercial waste at all of its household waste recycling centres.

It is one of a range of options being considered as part of cost-saving measures.

Other ideas include restricting the number of trips vans can make to the centres and banning people who don’t live in North Yorkshire from using them.

The options, which would affect sites at Penny Pot Lane and Wetherby Road in Harrogate, Dallamires Crescent in Ripon and mobile sites in Pateley Bridge and Boroughbridge, are due to go out to consultation.

The Penny Pot Lane tip.

A council decision notice last week announced plans to consult on changes, which it said would “avoid the need to reduce the service but do impact certain site users”.

The Stray Ferret asked the council why it was proposing changes, what the options were and the likely cost associated with them.

In a statement, it replied:

“To help make savings and improve the service they provide, North Yorkshire Council is looking at various changes at household waste recycling centres.

“This includes limiting the use of HWRCs to North Yorkshire residents only, limiting the access for commercial-like vehicles as well as changes to commercial waste.

“Around 15 per cent of visits are not made by North Yorkshire residents. Limiting the use to the county’s residents could generate savings of about £140,000 every year and would align with neighbouring authorities.

“The council is also proposing to limit access for commercial-like vehicles (including those in a van or pick-up). Figures show 93 per cent of visitors in a commercial-like vehicle make less than 12 visits per year. Limiting these vehicles to 12 visits could bring savings of about £370,000 and could reduce congestion at the sites.

“Before implementing these changes, people will be asked to share their views on the proposals, as well as whether they support commercial waste continuing to be accepted at HWRCs.”

Read more:

• Scrapping household waste charges will cost taxpayers £889,000, says council
• Harrogate hospital £20m RAAC repairs a ‘critical building safety issue’, says MP

According to the council’s website, commercial waste is currently accepted at all of its centres except Wetherby Road in Harrogate.

Environment minister Rebecca Pow announced in June that households would no longer have to pay to get rid of DIY waste at household waste recycling centres.

DIY waste is now treated the same as household waste, saving tip visitors up to £10 per sack of rubble or sheet of plasterboard. 

North Yorkshire Council said this would cost £889,000 and force it to look for new ways of saving money. 

Last month, the Local Government Association, which is a membership body for councils, warned the change could mean tip closures and reduced hours in some council areas.

This story is sponsored by Ashville College.

At Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep and Ashville Prep School, passionate and experienced teachers provide an encouraging and safe environment where children can be creative and curious, discover their strengths and interests, and are known and appreciated as individuals.

Parents with children aged two to 11 are encouraged to come along to the Acorns and Prep School Open Doors event on Tuesday February 7, 2023. Here are just some of the ways we help children to thrive:

1. We take the classroom outside

Ashville’s pioneering Outdoor Learning programme gets kids out into the fresh air, makes tricky curriculum topics easier to understand, and teaches problem solving and teamwork skills for life. Outdoor Learning Specialist Teacher and Consultant, Mr Paul Oldham, said:

“I have seen first-hand that outdoor lessons work. When you take children out of an enclosed room and into the outdoors, you open so many possibilities.”

Outdoor learning with Mr Paul Oldham

2. We provide confidence-boosting opportunities

Whether it’s taking part in an informal music concert, representing the school as part of the Swim Squads, or getting creative for a good cause in Charity Club, children get the opportunity to boost their confidence and shine in the areas they enjoy the most.

Pupils can choose to take on positions of responsibility from a young age, such as House Captains and members of the Prep School Parliament, helping to develop their leadership skills and appreciation for the ideas and opinions of their peers.

3. Pupils are part of a wider community

Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep and Ashville Prep School are part of Ashville College, an all-through school up to the age of 18. A sense of community is nurtured from the start; from enjoying lunch together in the Dining Hall to cheering each other on at numerous Competitive House events.

There are regular vertical links between Senior School and Prep School for the delivery of subjects such as Modern Foreign Languages, Music and PE, and achievements are celebrated, such as the Head Teacher Award, for pupils who go over and above in their contributions to the Ashville community.

Year 3, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Day

4. Regular, memorable experiences aren’t a one-off thing

Whether it’s the classroom being transformed into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, taking part in a real-life magic trick, toasting cinnamon-coated apple slices around a fire pit, or a trip to the Leeds Playhouse, no two school days are the same at Ashville.

You only go to school once, and the teachers ensure that each lesson is fun, stimulating and memorable, to nurture that love of learning every day.

5. Pupils love their School

When you see pupils skipping down the corridor for break, or getting involved in a learning activity, they exude positivity. From our youngest pupils in Little Acorns to our most ‘senior’ Prep pupils in Year 6, you can tell they’re happy to be here.

Pupils in Little Acorns

Mrs Charlotte Cryer, Head of Ashville Acorns Pre-Prep, which covers ages two to five, said:

“The beauty of an ‘Open Doors’ event is that it enables parents to see happy and engaged children taking part in activities and see the staff in action too. A child is the most valuable thing in a parent’s life, so they need to be able to trust the people they’re handing them over to.”

Mr Asa Firth, Head of Ashville Prep School, added:

“The children at Ashville Prep School inspire me on a daily basis; they are polite, confident and open minded. I am very proud of our School and how it has developed since my arrival last April.”

We would love to see you on 7 February. Take a tour, see our pupils on a normal teaching day, meet the staff, and find out more about how to apply. To sign up, click here.

Three men have appeared in court charged with stealing items from household waste recycling centres in Harrogate and Ripon.

North Yorkshire County Council operates the sites at Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate and Dallamires Lane in Ripon.

Lewis Boocock, 23, of Pioneer House, Dewsbury, is alleged to have stolen six laptops from Dallamires Lane and two TVs and two laptops from Penny Pot Lane on March 20 last year.

Mitchell Boocock, 22, of Common Road, Batley is charged with the theft of numerous electrical items from Penny Pot Lane on March 29 last year.

Luke Boocock, 21, of Leeds Road, Ossett, is alleged to have stolen electrical items from the sites at Penny Pot Lane and Dallamires Lane on March 21 and March 29 last year.

The cases, which were heard at Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday, have been remitted to Lancashire Magistrates Court on April 22.

The three men were granted unconditional bail.

A short queue of cars was waiting outside the Household Waste Recycling Centre on Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate this morning.

After North Yorkshire County Council announced yesterday afternoon that it was going to re-open some of its tips today, locals were ready to make use of the facility.

Traffic management was in place, forcing drivers to approach the site from the west only. Those arriving from the Harrogate side had to follow signposts to go along the A59 and down to join the queue on Penny Pot Lane.

NYCC said if the queue becomes too long, it will ask drivers to come back later in order to spread demand.

Diversion signs re-direct traffic arriving from the east

With 10 tips now open from 8.30am to 5pm, seven days a week across North Yorkshire, the county council said they are only to be used by people who cannot store their waste at home until lockdown is lifted. Commercial waste is not being accepted and nor are trailers, but charges are still being made for disposing of some non-commercial waste, including hardcore, rubble, plasterboard and tyres.

Coun Andrew Lee, NYCC’s executive member for Waste Management, said:

“Please consider others and go to the HWRC only if you are struggling. If you can store your waste at home, please do so. And please continue to try to minimise waste and where possible use your kerbside collection services rather than visiting a recycling centre. Ask yourself whether your trip to the centre is really an essential journey.

“As outlined in Government guidance, a visit to your local HWRC should only be considered essential if the waste materials cannot be stored at home without causing risk of injury or harm to health.

HWRCs on Wetherby Road in Harrogate and Dallamires Crescent in Ripon remain closed.

Household waste recycling centres (HWRC) will remain closed in North Yorkshire, despite several around the country re-opening this weekend.

North Yorkshire County Council said it is still working on the safest way for its tips to re-open, including the two in Harrogate and one in Ripon, despite growing demand from the public and concerns that a lack of the facility may lead to fly-tipping.

The decision to keep the gates closed has been challenged by Coun Geoff Webber, who represents Bilton and Nidd Gorge on NYCC. He said:

“I fail to understand how people are expected to calculate sufficiency of storage space when we can’t tell them when the tips will reopen. Furthermore it seems to me completely unreasonable to ask people who are mainly confined to home not to generate waste through DIY or gardening.

Compliance with current regulations relies on the public acceptance that the regulations are reasonable and I fear that the County Council’s current position is far from that.”

Around the UK, other local authorities including Greater Manchester have re-opened their waste and recycling centres, after the local government secretary, Robert Jenrick, told the House of Commons on Tuesday that he expected tips to be open “within weeks”.

‘Cut non-essential travel’

Ian Fielding, NYCC’s assistant director for waste management, said:

“As it stands our household waste recycling centres remain closed for public safety and to cut non-essential travel but we will open them as soon as we can. The government are indicating that sites can reopen where they can be operated safely, and are preparing guidance for local authorities on how this might work in practice.

“We are considering how and when we might be able to open our sites, and operate them without putting staff or the public at risk. Before making a decision, we want to ensure that we have addressed all potential challenges regarding social distancing and traffic management but it is probable that not all sites will open initially, and it is likely that there will be significant restrictions on their use.”

Mr Fielding said the decision to close was made alongside other local authorities in England and NYCC was working hard to get the HWRCs open again as soon as possible.

While the tips remain closed, he urged people not to create additional waste and reminded the public that fly tipping carries legal penalties:  

“During this lockdown period we are asking people to minimise their waste as much as possible. For instance, please do not begin DIY or gardening projects if you don’t have space to store that waste until the HWRCs are able to reopen.

“Do not be tempted to fly tip. It is an offence punishable by fines or imprisonment and offenders will be prosecuted.”