Chesterfield man warns fly-tipping will increase after being turned away at town waste centre

A Chesterfield man was left bemused after being told by staff at a local waste centre to pay for a skip to dispose of three fence panels.
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John Wallhead, of Walton, tried last week to dispose of three fence panels at the Chesterfield household waste recycling centre at Stonegravels.

To his shock, when he arrived, he said he was told by two employees that Derbyshire County Council cannot accept fence panels at their recycling sites, and that his best option to get rid of them was to pay for a skip.

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John Wallhead was told by staff at the Stonegravels recycling centre to hire a skip for three wooden fence panels.John Wallhead was told by staff at the Stonegravels recycling centre to hire a skip for three wooden fence panels.
John Wallhead was told by staff at the Stonegravels recycling centre to hire a skip for three wooden fence panels.
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Mr Wallhead said: “I think it’s a bit ridiculous to be honest. I had three fence panels that I had replaced, I cut them into nine pieces that fit into my car, and I’m in my late 70s, so these weren’t big pieces.

“What am I supposed to do? They wouldn’t fit in my bin at home, and they told me to get a skip for panels that fit in the back of my car- do they know how much that will cost?”

After being turned away, Mr Wallhead said he was even more confused to find that the Bolsover recycling centre were happy to take the panels, with a staff member even helping him take them from his car.

Mr Wallhead said he was left bewildered by it all, and that such rules would only encourage people in the town towards fly-tipping.

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“I can’t explain it, I can’t understand why. I did as a normal, responsible resident of Chesterfield would do - if you’ve got some rubbish, take it to the tip.”

“But I’m not paying £80-£100 to hire a skip for three fence panels. Is the answer to go and dump them in the nearest lay-by? No wonder we have fly-tipping all over the place.”

A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said: “We are sorry for any confusion caused to this resident. Although the council doesn’t have to accept this type of waste, we try to help our residents by accepting small amounts at the discretion of site staff, based on the size and quantity of materials being brought in.”