The move comes as part of ongoing changes in the region involving cross-border arrangements.
Currently around 44,000 visits to the Medway HWRCs – about 21% – come from the Kent county council area but Kent has decided to end funding support for the use of Medway by its residents.
Kent CC’s decision to end funding support comes largely because the authority has developed a new HWRC at Allington, close to the Allington energy from waste plant.
Council tax
Now, Medway council, a unitary authority with offices in Chatham, has opted not to allow cross border HWRC users to pay a fee for use of its sites. In a statement yesterday (February 20), the authority said: “Residents who pay council tax to Medway council will continue to be able to book a slot to visit all three of Medway’s HWRCs and access them for free. Medway residents will need to bring proof of address, such as a driving licence or council tax bill, with their booking reference.”
Cuxton
The charge to Kent has been based on the actual number of Kent county council users as measured by Medway’s booking system. The loss of Kent visitors to Medway sites has raised questions about the viability of the council’s Cuxton Waste and Recycling Centre. Councillors have been questioned as to whether there were plans to close this site because the volume of waste handled from Kent would reduce – it has represented around 41% of Cuxton’s intake. Medway’s portfolio holder for environment, Phil Filmer, said there were no closure plans and that the provision of a service for commercial vehicles at Cuxton could help to ensure future viability.
Kent
Kent itself in response to cost pressures on its waste budget is adopting a £10 charge for residents from outside of the county who wish to use its sites. In a report on cross-border issues, the authority noted: “Taking into account the approach by other LAs, public feedback and financial modelling, in order to continue to provide choice to residents, the policy decision is to continue to allow cross border, non-Kent residents from using the KCC HWRCs, albeit for a charge”.
Other authorities
In a committee report, Kent county councillors have been told that: “A number of other Local Authorities (LAs), including those close to or sharing a border with KCC, already have cross-border HWRC policies, or are likely to be considering introducing one, as follows:
- London Borough of Bexley Council – stopped accepting Kent residents during the Covid-19 pandemic and will continue to do so
- London Borough of Bromley residents – £5 per visit for non-Bromley residents · Surrey County Council – allow Surrey residents only
- West Sussex County Council – allow West Sussex residents only
- East Sussex County Council – no cross-border policy currently
- Medway Council – no cross-border policy currently, but the decision of whether to introduce a policy is with the Leader of the Authority [now decided by Medway to restrict only to Medway residents]
The HWRCs in Medway are operated by Medway Norse with residual waste in the council area handled by Veolia.
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