RESIDENTS will be subjected to a series of new waste removal charges after councillors agreed a move that they said would save around £200,000 a year.

The charges will be made by Dorset County Council - affecting all residents outside of Bournemouth and Poole - for taking 'non-household' materials to the county's household recycling centres (HRCs).

The council said that nearly 7,500 residents took part in a consultation looking at ways of reducing the £3.3 million cost of running Dorset's 11 HRCs.

Now, the Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP) joint committee has approved a charging structure for disposing of items like rubble, plasterboard and tyres, which it says is in line with neighbouring Poole.

Under the scheme, householders will pay £1.50 per bag of soil or rubble, or item of DIY waste, such as a basin.

Asbestos will costs £6 per bag or £12 per sheet, while plasterboard will be £2.50 per bag or £10 per sheet.

Car tyres will cost £5 each to be removed, while gas cannisters will be between £6 and £35, depending on size.

The DWP says the charges could generate £250,000 a year, with initial set-up costs of £20,000.

The contract for managing Dorset’s 11 HRCs is currently out to tender and the new charges are unlikely to come in before the new contract starts next August.

The council said that three quarters of the 7,440 people that responded to the consultation said that closing any HRCs would be unacceptable, while 57 per cent said that charging for non-household waste was the most acceptable option.

Cllr Anthony Alford, chairman of the DWP joint committee, said: “The results showed just how highly residents value Dorset’s recycling centres.

“HRCs are mainly provided for recycling ordinary household materials. The types of waste for which there will be a small charge are the result of home improvements or can be disposed of in other legal ways, such as skip hire and garages.

“The changes agreed will achieve significant and much-needed savings with the minimum impact on the majority of people who use our centres.”

The full results of the consultation are available at dorsetforyou.com/hrc