PEOPLE in Craven are being asked for their views on the district's council-run household waste recycling centres (HWRC).

North Yorkshire Council is proposing changes to its 20 recycling centres, including those in Skipton and in Settle, which could see only residents of North Yorkshire being able to use them, limited access for commercial vehicles, and charging for commercial waste.

The council, which has a legal duty to provide household waste recycling centres for residents to dispose of any additional household waste, free of charge, says the service, including the disposal of the waste delivered, costs it more than £5 million a year.

It says to help address 'increasing costs and improve the service it provides', it is looking at various options and is asking people to share their views about the proposed changes by the end of January next year.

Currently, the council says 17 per cent of people who use its recycling centres live outside the county, and if visits were restricted to North Yorkshire people only, it would save around £140,000 per year.

Also, it says 93 per cent of visitors in a commercial-like vehicle - such as a van or a pick-up - visit less than 12 times a year, and it believes that some waste being deposited from these vehicles could be commercial waste, which should be paid for.

If it limits such vehicles to 12 visits a year, it says the authority would save around £370,000 and reduce congestion at sites.

Commercial waste, which is a paid-for service, is currently accepted at Settle and Skipton sites - only two in the county do not take commercial waste.

Although the council has no legal obligation to accept commercial waste at the sites, it understands that this is a useful service to very small businesses that operate from home in rural areas.

So, views are being sought whether it would be a good idea to have accurate weighing and charging of commercial waste.

Councillor Greg White, executive member for waste services, said: “It is important that we continue to provide high-quality waste and recycling services for our residents and businesses, that doesn’t have a detrimental impact on our overall costs and the offer we provide.

“By limiting access to North Yorkshire residents only – which would align with most of our neighbouring local authorities – we can ensure we continue to provide an excellent and cost-effective service for our residents.

“And by improving our service for commercial-like vehicles, as well as commercial waste, we can also ensure businesses would be charged an accurate and fair amount for their waste.

“Before we adopt any changes to the HWRCs, we would welcome views to understand the benefits of each approach and what it will mean for our residents and businesses.”

People can share their views online at www.northyorks.gov.uk/survey-hwrc until Wednesday, January 31.