CONCERN has been raised over Welwyn Hatfield Council's decision to start charging residents for the removal of old fridges and freezers from their homes.

At a meeting of the environment committee held on Tuesday, December 11, it was announced that the council will introduce a £25 charge for the service.

Tory councillor, Russell Le Page, expressed concern that the introduction of the charge will result in a plethora of old fridges and freezers being dumped around the district.

He said: "I fear that the £25 charge may well be cancelled out by the amount we spend on collecting all of the dumped fridges and freezers we'll find littering the area."

The introduction of the charge has been put down to new legislation which stipulates that old fridges and freezers must be treated as hadardous waste and kept separate from other bulky items, and taken to the county council for long-term storage.

Councillor Colin Croft, chairman of the environment committee, said: "I am frustrated that this council is being left to pick up the pieces because no-one is prepared for this new legislation.

"I cannot see why manufacturers, retailers and the waste industry could not come together to sort this problem out in a coherent way."

The new legislation states that the foam insulation and coolant gases containing CFC's have to be removed before any part of the item can be disposed of or recycled.

December 13, 2001 14:00