Government legislation comes into force in the New Year which bans local councils from charging for small amounts of waste.

The announcement made by the Government in June will help householders to dispose of their waste in a responsible manner and encourage recycling.

Around a third of local authorities were still charging for household DIY waste but the removal of some charges will make it much easier and cheaper for people making home improvements to get rid of their waste – and may reduce the temptation to use waste cowboys who fly-tip rubbish.

However, there are concerns at the loss of income for councils that previously charged for this waste and will no longer be in a position to do so.

A survey by the Local Government Association back in September 2023 revealed that:

“For many councils, reducing their abilities to charge for the disposal of DIY waste will lead to funding reductions that will have to be passed on to reduced waste services popular with our residents."

The BBC has reported that Devon County Council is scrapping charges for DIY waste from January.  It goes on to say that one Councillor had said Devon County Council currently made about £1m per year in income from charges for DIY waste. 

That loss in funding couldn’t come at a worse time for local authorities as they await the Provisional Local Government Funding Settlement.  This announcement, due from the Government next week sets out the funding for local authorities for 2024-2025.

In the current settlement, urban councils received 38% more in Government Funded Spending Power compared to rural councils, meaning that they could also spend double that of rural councils on discretionary services.

Kerry Booth, Chief Executive of the Rural Services Network said: “Councils have been struggling to provide services in rural areas that cost more to deliver, and following years of underfunding from Government.  We need to examine the detail of the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement which was released yesterday to see whether rural councils will have their fair share for the coming year.”