by political editor Paul Francis

Two waste tips are likely to close and trade waste is to be banned from other centres under a shake-up planned by Kent County Council.

The two centres identified for closure are Hawkinge and Richborough, with both earmarked to shut towards the end of next year.

The news will dismay campaigners who have urged the council to rethink the idea.

KCC says it intends to improve facilities at Ashford to compensate for the closure of Hawkinge, near Folkestone but says Richborough, in east Kent, deals with too little waste and would need significant investment.

A report to be considered by councillors on the future of the county's 19 household waste recycling centres says dealing with commercial waste, chiefly from builders and traders, costs the taxpayer £400,000 a year and most centres should no longer accept it.

While the report accepts the move could increase fly-tipping, it recommends trade waste is accepted at six recycling centres but that a fee will have to be paid.

In addition to a ban on trade waste, householders will face limits on the amount of construction waste they take to tips. Under the changes, people will only be able to take one car boot load - the equivalent of three 30kg bags at a time.

And people taking tyres, asbestos and gas bottles will have to pay a £5 charge for each item and they will only be accepted at the six tips linked to waste recycling centres.

Under the recommendations, commercial vehicles - including vans and pick-up trucks along with agricultural vehicles - will be excluded.

Cllr Bryan Sweetland (Con), KCC cabinet member for the environment, said he understood why people would be upset by sites closing - but residents would still be within a 20-minute drive of others.

"The two are our smallest sites and we are trying to take a Kent-wide view that nobody need drive further than 15-20 minutes to reach one. They are not fit for purpose any more. Clearly I understand the concerns."

On banning trade waste, he said: "Our responsibility is to deal with household waste. There are other ways that commercial operators can use to get rid of it."

The proposals follow a ten-week consultation which saw 3,500 people respond. Of those, 65% agreed that trade waste be banned and 60% said items such as tyres and gas bottles should also be banned.

If the proposals go ahead, KCC’s policy would be similar to most other authorities in the region.