Surrey Lib Dems welcome overdue changes to DIY waste disposal

Surrey Lib Dems have welcomed the news that Surrey County Council will finally be amending its policy on the free disposal of DIY waste by residents at its Community Recycling Centres. 

The announcement has come following a recent statement by DEFRA, clarifying the distinction between the waste generated by a householder undertaking minor works to maintain and enhance their property and that emanating from the professional construction of buildings, demolition etc.   

 Surrey County Council is one of the waste authorities that has continued to misinterpret the regulations since 2018, in spite of a robust challenge by the local Lib Dems at the time, and as a result have been penalising residents for the last five years. 

The new regulations will come into force at applicable CRCs on 01 September and will allow residents to dispose of small amounts of household DIY waste, subject to restrictions on the type of material and frequency of disposal. 

Will Forster, Leader of Surrey Lib Dems said: 

“These changes are long overdue. The Tory administration in Surrey has finally been forced to act in accordance with its own government’s intentions. By wrongly interpreting these regulations for so long Surrey residents have been treated unfairly, and as a result have faced higher costs when carrying out minor DIY projects in their homes.”