New rules for Biggleswade's tidy tip branded 'petty bureaucracy' as councillors call for reversal

Providing proof of residence identification to use a tidy tip in Central Bedfordshire has been labelled “petty bureaucracy” by Biggleswade’s deputy mayor.

Visitors to local household waste recycling centres have been asked since the start of last month (November 1) to show proof they live in the area.

Central Bedfordshire Council’s aim is “to bring us in line with our neighbouring authorities”, the local authority has said. This applies to sites in Biggleswade, Ampthill, Leighton Buzzard and Thorn Turn at Houghton Regis.

But Marston Moretaine Parish Council has written to other towns and parishes asking for support for a resolution it passed recently, calling on CBC to reconsider the need for ID and “pursue reciprocal arrangements with surrounding local authorities to achieve a shared waste and recycling strategy”.

It said: “Convenience should be the criteria, rather than the parochial delusion that the need to recycle, a key part of mitigating climate change, should stop at the boundaries of Central Bedfordshire.”

This is “in line with the depressing approach taken by many of our neighbouring authorities”, it added.

Biggleswade town councillor Michael North said: “We should express support for Marston Moretaine on this. The idea of providing ID and it being exclusively for residents is quite wrong.

“It ought to be an open facility for anyone to use because the danger is you’ll get fly-tipping otherwise.”

Town councillor Jo Jones visited the local tidy tip during the past fortnight without being asked for ID.

“I’ve been more than welcome to dispose of my rubbish in a responsible way,” she said. “That’s at the root of what we should be doing. We should make disposal as easy as possible.”

Deputy mayor Mark Knight said: “We should rise above this. It just seems tit for tat. Other local authorities have made it difficult to use their recycling centres and therefore we must do the same.

“If you’ve just moved into the area you wouldn’t have ID showing your new address. If you don’t live here and you’re helping an elderly relative who doesn’t drive it becomes more difficult to assist someone.

“If your nearest tip is Biggleswade and you’re forced to drive elsewhere because of this petty bureaucracy, how’s that good for the environment? We should encourage Central Beds to rethink this policy.”

Town councillor Andrew Skilton suggested: “We could extend the proof of identification to a CBC issue bus pass, as mentioned in that letter, and to the document you can use as ID at a polling station.

“There’s the wider issue of waste collections in Central Beds which should be addressed. If you can’t drive, you’ve got to pay for bulky waste collections, which is probably more of an incentive to fly-tip than being unable to visit the tidy tip.”

Town councillor Jonathan Woodhead added: “Another point to raise with CBC would be the issue of glass waste collections, which virtually every other local authority provides and is a bigger priority.”

Councillors unanimously agreed to support Marston Moretaine in its objectives and to inquire about kerbside glass collections.