A Crewe councillor has raised concerns over plans to extend Crewe Household Waste and Recycling Centre's booking system to seven days a week, warning the changes could create "unnecessary obstacles" for residents.

James Pratt, of Crewe St Barnabas ward, who has reported over 1,000 fly-tipping incidents since becoming a councillor in 2023, has been actively involved in tackling the growing problem.

Cllr Pratt has campaigned for additional CCTV to monitor Crewe's fly-tipping hotspots and participated in community projects aimed at keeping the town clean and safe.

While the proposal at Crewe's Pyms Lane tip is to introduce seven-day bookings, the plans for Alsager and Knutsford are to remove their booking systems entirely.

Cllr Pratt told Nub News: "Weekend bookings were previously cited as a problem because people were being pushed to visit during the week.

Cllr James Pratt has campaigned for additional CCTV to monitor Crewe's fly-tipping hotspots and participated in community projects aimed at keeping the town clean and safe (Photo: Nub News).

"Yet every time I've checked, there are plenty of slots at the weekend. To me, it's obvious that the booking system is just an obstacle for residents rather than a solution.

"Fly-tipping is a real issue in Crewe, and the move to three-weekly black bin collections has made it even more important residents can access the tip easily."

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Cllr Pratt has also raised concerns to Nub News about accountability at Cheshire East Council.

At the council's Environment and Communities Committee meeting on 29 January it resolved to "delegate authority to the Director of Planning and Environment to make alterations to the HWRC booking system to account for health and safety and traffic congestion issues at HWRCs in consultation with the Chair, Vice Chair and Opposition Spokesman of Committee." 

Cllr Pratt, who confirmed he will be requesting the data and analysis that informed these council decisions, as well as clarification on the differences in approach at other sites, said "by delegating the decision to council staff, elected members are effectively removed from direct responsibility."

The Conservative councillor added: "This is not a dig at the hard-working staff at the tip, they do an excellent job, but it is the ludicrous decisions being made within the council that are the problem.

"Residents deserve better. Any system that makes it harder for people to dispose of their waste properly is counterproductive and risks contributing to more fly-tipping, which is exactly what we are trying to prevent."

"I am urging Cheshire East to reconsider these proposals and fully take residents' concerns into account before any changes are implemented."

READ MORE: Over 30 arrests during week of action targeting retail crime across Cheshire.

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