HAMPSHIRE County Council is giving residents a New Year's gift.

People will no longer be charged for disposing of household DIY waste at council tips across the county.

From January 1 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) will drop charges for disposal of DIY waste - in line with the Government policy changes.

The move may help to reduce fly-tipping as illegal dumping rose after the charges were introduced.

Announcing the decision today, Cllr Nick Adams-King, the county council’s Executive Lead Member for Universal Services, said: “The removal of changes at HWRCs will be welcome news for those who are undertaking DIY projects as it reduces the cost burden in these challenging times.

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"This change follows Government legislation which now prohibits local authorities from charging for smaller amounts of DIY waste generated from household projects. Although fees will be lifted for certain volumes of this material, broadly equal to that of an average car boot, we will continue to monitor sites to prevent unscrupulous commercial operators taking advantage of a taxpayer funded service.”

From the New Year, up to two 50-litre rubble bags, or one bulky item such as a sink or toilet pedestal will be accepted for free, at a maximum frequency of four visits over four weeks.

Anything more than this amount will be chargeable at current rates, as permitted by national legislation, to cover specialist disposal costs. DIY waste can be accepted at all HWRCs in Hampshire except New Alresford due to its restricted size. Customers must also be able to lift, carry and empty out their DIY waste.

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Cllr Adams-King added: “While it is clearly positive for householders, we do estimate that the removal of fees from January could impose an additional cost to Hampshire council taxpayers of up to £2 million every year. This is because recycling or disposal of DIY waste, such as soil, rubble, asbestos and gypsum board, requires specialist processing and the fees we currently charge help to cover these expenses. An additional cost of this scale comes at a time when our finances are stretched to the limit, with difficult decisions needing to be taken about how the County Council can continue to deliver services in the future within the resources available. Last month we confirmed plans to consult with the public, in the New Year, on a range of savings proposals to help meet a £132 million budget shortfall faced by the local authority from April 2025, including a review of Hampshire’s HWRCs.”

Hampshire residents must have an appointment to visit one of the County Council’s HWRCs.

From January 1, customers will be asked to confirm if they are depositing household DIY when making their online booking. 

Soil, rubble and plasterboard is accepted at all HWRCs except Alresford due to the extremely small capacity of this site.

Cement-bonded asbestos is a hazardous material that requires a bespoke environmental permit and therefore is only accepted at five sites – Andover, Basingstoke, Efford, Netley and Portsmouth. 

HWRCs are open 362 days a year, closing only on December 25-26 and January 1. 

 


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