Calls to scrap council large goods collection fees

A councillor has called for the scrapping of council fees to collect large items to test whether it reduces fly-tipping.

Green Party councillor Matt Williams said the cost of paying Newcastle City Council to collect sofas, fridges, and other large items, which could be up to £70 per item, was having a damaging impact on families in deprived areas.

Other councils, such as Sunderland, offer a free bulky waste collection service.

Newcastle's cabinet member for health and social Wendy Taylor said a free service could result in increased demand and put pressure on other front line services. Councillors agreed to review the service.

Newcastle City Council dealt with 16,731 instances of fly-tipping in 2024 to 2025, a rise of more than 850 from the previous year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Williams told a full council meeting litter and fly-tipping issues were more pronounced in working class communities with higher rates of poverty.

"Yet as of now, there is no recognition that the costs associated with the bulky item collection charge may have adverse and disproportionate effects on communities with higher rates of hardship within the city of Newcastle," he said.

He also called for pedestrians and cyclists to be allowed access to the city's tips, to ensure they could be used by people who could not afford a car.

Councillors agreed to back a Liberal Democrat-led amendment to Williams' motion, which committed to a modernisation of tips and a wider review of the bulky waste collection service.

It included a pledge to explore test schemes, including the possibility for a "localised trial in a hot spot area focused on reduced or eliminated collection charges to understand the impact on fly-tipping behaviours".

Taylor said the introduction of the bulky waste charge in 2011 had resulted in a £570,000 saving at the time and coincided with an overall reduction in fly-tipping, including in deprived areas like Walker and Byker.

"I accept charges for bulky waste collection have increased since then and a review of the service is to be welcomed," she said.

However, she added, "any councillor advocating bringing back a free service needs to accept the likelihood of a large increase in demand and a large increase in costs, leading to savings being needed elsewhere."

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