Tip ban lifted
by political editor Paul Francis
pfrancis@thekmgroup.co.uk
A ban on sign-written vehicles using waste tips across the
county has been lifted after complaints flooded in from people
turned away - despite only wanting to get rid of household
rubbish.
Kent County Council has done a rapid U-turn on its ban on
vehicles that carry commercial advertising only days after highways
chiefs declared most people were "quite happy" about the ban.
The U-turn follows the intervention of KCC leader Cllr Paul
Carter and came amid complaints the new rules meant taxi drivers,
driving instructors and even a magician - as well as KM Group staff
- had been turned away because their vehicles carried
advertising.
The new rule was designed to clamp down on the commercial
dumping of waste from builders and others.
It led to a storm of protests, voiced first in the Kent
Messenger the week the rules were brought in.
Peter Wildish, 70, of Woodcut, Penenden Heath, complained after
he was no longer able to use a trailer he had bought on the
strength of advoce from KCC staff.
He said: “For me to drive to Sittingbourne will cost £12 in fuel
for a round trip. And I’ll have to pay when I get there. We are
already paying for this service.”
Grove Green resident Sue Birchall’s husband Steve was turned away
in his van carrying rubbish from a bedroom clearance.
The Restharrow Road resident said: “We are trying to dispose of
things in an environmentally friendly way and we are being turned
away. It is just wrong.”
Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Gordon Henderson, labelled the
rules a "Soviet-like diktat" and raised the matter in
Parliament.
He warned it would lead to more fly-tipping and Dartford MP
Gareth Johnson also urged a re-think.
Under the new rules, KCC had introduced a system in which people
could
apply for special exemption vouchers permitting them to dump
household
waste. That was branded overly bureaucratic.
It now appears staff at the waste sites will be told to use
their discretion and allow those with branded vehicles to dump
waste that is not commercial.
The dumping of commercial waste is still banned.
23/11/12
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