Hampshire MP says £7 charge for Newbury tip should be regularly reviewed

The Newtown Road tip situation should be regularly reviewed, North West Hampshire MP Kit Malthouse has said.

North Hampshire residents have been paying £7 per visit since August after Hampshire County Council stopped paying for its residents to use West Berkshire's household waste recycling centres.

The situation has caused considerable frustration among North Hampshire residents, particularly those living close to the border, with councillors voicing their annoyance at having to effectively pay twice to dispose of waste.

Mr Malthouse, who has been MP for the constituency since 2015, said while he was “happy” a solution had been reached, he supported an ongoing review to ensure residents were getting value for money.

The policing minister said: “The issue around the Newtown Road tip has been around for a long time and we’ve been lurching every year, so on the one hand I’m happy a solution has been reached because it means people in this area – including me – can access the tip.

“From an ongoing point of view, we’ll have to review it and see how it works, because while I understand £7 is a fair bit to pay, particularly if you’re going frequently, the tip has to be paid for and we have to make sure residents can access it.

“A regular review of the charging to make sure everyone gets value for money is critical.”

The £7 fee was introduced by West Berkshire Council in order to cover Hampshire residents’ share of running costs, the district council’s portfolio holder for the environment, Steve Ardagh-Walter, said in July.

One possible long-term resolution is for a regional or national solution whereby residents can travel to whichever recycling centre is most convenient for them.

Mr Malthouse said he had floated the idea while he was a backbencher and that it was being reviewed on an ongoing basis.

He continued: “The problem is different councils have different contracts for their refuse.

“I definitely think it would be sensible for us to consider how – particularly when you live on the border of an area – you can easily access facilities on the other side, in the same way you can access leisure centres, libraries, or other services that are provided by councils.

“I would support a review.”