LOCAL politicians in Bromsgrove who campaigned for tips to be reopened say the decision to do should have been made weeks ago.

Seven county recycling centres, including the Quantry Lane tip in Bromsgrove, were reopened this week.

But the district's Labour and Liberal Democrat groups say Worcestershire County Council should have reopened them sooner.

Peter McDonald, Bromsgrove Labour leader, said: "Had they listened to Labour in the first place we would never had the increase in fly-tipping and the queues now expected at the recycling centres.

"It beggars belief that the County Council did not expect a rise in fly-tipping.

"Reopening the tips is helping ensure residents do the right thing with their rubbish and to reduce the amount of household waste that is fly-tipped by rogue traders who offer to take people’s waste away for money and then dump it.

"There is no excuse for fly-tipping, it is a hazard, anti-social and an eyesore and it's quite wrong to expect the taxpayer to pay for clearing away dumped items.

"However, the blame lies squarely with the County Council who must have been aware that its actions would lead to the increase in fly-tipping - for without recycle centres what did the Council expect the public to do with its waste?”

Liberal Democrat spokesperson Samuel Evans added: "The lack of access to bulky household waste disposal was a threat to public health, with potential increase in home bonfires due to inadequate access to safe waste disposal.”

Bromsgrove District Council, however, has insisted that despite the councillors' claims, there has not been a rise in fly-tipping during lockdown - read more here.