Walsall tips to open seven days a week in bid to beat fly-tippers
Tips will be opened seven days a week across in a Black Country town as part of plans to combat fly-tipping.
Walsall Council leader Mike Bird has confirmed tips in Bloxwich and Aldridge will be open all week, with the changes expected to come in later this year.
He said residents needed to be able to access tips at all times and believes having the service available will deter fly-tippers who are costing the council £1 million a year.
Express & Star comment: Closure of tips is load of rubbish
The changes come after the Conservative group took control of the authority in May.
Bosses are also considering offering free use of the bulky goods collection service for three months to encourage people to dispose of rubbish responsibly.
The Fryers Road tip in Bloxwich site is currently closed on Thursdays and Fridays while the Aldridge site is shut on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
He said: “It’s going to happen but it has to go through the process. I’m looking at having a special cabinet to do things like this because the next one is not until September.
“I think we need to do it sooner rather than later.
“Fly-tipping is costing us about £1 million a year. If somebody turns up on Tuesday with a car full of rubbish and it’s closed, what are they going to do?
“They will think ‘where can I dump this?’. “It is one of our statutory duties to allow people to dispose of their waste.”
“I believe when you stand for election you need to honour your promises.
“We have said we are going to do it and it is being costed as we speak and we will be doing it as soon as it is practical.”
Walsall has been blighted by fly-tipping in recent years and it is hoped that the changes will go some way to solving the problem.
Councillor Bird said the authority would be taking a tough stance on the issue and cracking down on people who pass rubbish on to unscrupulous collectors.
He said: “We have got to educate the public. People have got to understand they have got a duty of care in how their waste is disposed.
“If it ends up dumped in a country lane we will be coming back to the source and they will have to pay the fine.”
