Lancashire County Council have announced new rules regarding waste disposal at tips.

From June 1, a permit will be required to dispose of construction and demolition waste for free at household recycling centres.

The permit, available to apply for over the phone or online from April 1, is valid for a calendar year or until the free allowance has been used and will allow residents to dispose of up to ten 25kg bags of such waste a year.

A charge of £3.50 per 25kg bag or equivalent item will be applied for further waste or that delivered without a permit and householders with trailers will have to pay between £17.50 and £52.50 depending on their size.

Steve Scott, head of waste management, said their current unlimited free disposal of such waste wasn’t a statutory duty and was financially unsustainable.

He added that a quarter of a tonne of this type of waste for free should be ‘more than enough’ for the average household’s DIY work and that there was no reason why householders would need to fly tip as a result of the policy, but that they would work with district councils to catch and prosecute those responsible if it occurred.