Policy to charge Highland residents for bulky uplift of waste remains

The Highland Council reaffirmed its intention to introduce charging residents for bulky uplifts of large waste items from 1 April 2009.

There will be a flat charge of £15 for the collection of up to three items during a single visit (e.g. sofa, and two chairs), and £30 for the collection of between four and up to a maximum of six items.

Councillor Brian Murphy, Vice Chairman of the Council’s TEC Services Committee said: “At present it costs the council £32 per tonne to dispose of these items to a landfill site. We simply cannot afford to keep offering a free service when the council is facing these Landfill Tax charges which are going up by £8 per tonne every year.

He added: “Many of the requests for bulky uplifts involve furniture and other household items. I would encourage people to ensure that as much as possible is either re-used or re-cycled. There are a number of local community sector groups that offer a free collection service for these items”

At a meeting of The Highland Council (05 March 2009) a motion presented by Councillor David Bremner and seconded by Councillor Roderick Balfour “That the Council abolishes its plans to introduce charging residents for bulky uplifts” was defeated 25 votes to 40.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990, and the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992, provides local authorities with the powers to make a charge for the collection of certain household wastes, and 28 of the 32 Councils in Scotland currently apply a charge for the collection of bulky items.  The average charge is £18.

Details on the Council’s bulky uplift service can be found on the Council’s website http://www.www.highland.gov.uk/ or from Council Service Points or Area Offices or by telephoning 01463 702000.