Brentwood Council has resolved to call on Essex County Council to scrap its recycling centre booking policy after it heard fly-tipping incidents were ‘directly linked to it’.

But the County Council disputes that its system is causing an increase in the criminal offence.

The motion heard at Brentwood Council’s ordinary council session on Wednesday, June 21, that since the booking scheme’s introduction in March “a continued escalation in fly-tipping has been observed”.

Councillor David Kendall (Lib Dem, Pilgrims Hatch) said that between March 2020 and March 2023 there were 1,051 fly-tipping incidents which cost the council £80,000 to clear up. And since March this year, and the booking systems introduction, there have already been 338 fly-tips which have cost £20,000 to remove.

He said: “I believe that if we want to encourage our residents to recycle and disclose their rubbish responsibly then we need to make the process as simple and as easy as possible for them.

“Our residents want the freedom to visit a recycling centre when it suits them. They don’t want to be told when they have to go if they have to queue. Speak to most people [and] they accept they have to queue it’s just one of those things.

“We queue for lots of things in life but having to book is seen as a hassle and it’s seen as being restrictive.”

He added: “Fly-tipping is a serious problem and a booking system at the recycling centre is not helping us address it as far as I’m concerned.”

However Councillor Thomas Bridge (Cons, Tipps Cross) said his figures suggest fly-tipping was not linked to the booking system – his data says in January this year there were 119 incidents, there were 114 incidents in February, 115 in March, 115 in April, and 103 in May.

He said: “So we’ve actually seen the number of fly-tips go down since the scheme has been interrupted so you can’t assert that it’s costing the council money and there’s been an uprising of fly-tips since the scheme has been opened, quite simply because our own data shows the date the trend has gone the other way.”

A spokesman for Essex Country Council said: “We are committed to working with councils, the environment agency and other enforcement bodies in Essex to ensure the appropriate investigations and action is taken against those that choose to fly-tip.

“Throughout the initial pilot of bookings for large vehicles and for all vehicles using Rayleigh Recycling Centre, we received no reports of increased fly-tipping incidents in the county linked to the booking trial.

“National studies carried out by DEFRA last year also did not identify any link between booking systems and fly-tipping.

“Same-day bookings have been available to residents since the booking system launched in March and are available at all recycling centres in Essex. Residents can book as little as 15 minutes in advance of their visit.

“We have increased capacity at our recycling centres, and we are now offering around 50,000 bookable slots across the county every week. This remains under review.

“We believe that by removing any barriers to access through offering same-day bookings, and by offering nearly 50,000 booking slots at recycling centres per week in the summer months, there is no excuse for fly-tipping.

“The booking system at Essex recycling centres is a trial, lasting for nine months from March 2023. It will be frequently reviewed to ensure it is working efficiently, whilst amendments can be made if necessary.”