Residents living close to the tip in Wolverhampton will no longer be able to use the site from April 1 after the agreement was ended.

For many years residents in Dudley borough, particularly Coseley, have been able to use the Anchor Lane site, which is owned and run by Wolverhampton City Council.Dudley Council has been paying an annual fee for its residents to use the site, but a request in recent weeks to increase this fee by 65% has left the council with no alternative but to end the agreement.

From April 1 residents will not be able to use the site but can still use the household waste recycling centre in Stourbridge which is owned and run by Dudley Council. Heidi Marsh-Geyton, acting director of public realm, said:

"The agreement has been in place for many years but following a big increase in the annual charge we have had to end that agreement. We have offered to increase our fee on a number of occasions, but this has been declined. It is really important we maintain a balance between providing first class, convenient services and facilities for residents while also providing value for money.

"We are extremely disappointed and we have not taken this decision lightly, as we know this change will cause inconvenience for people who are used to using the Anchor Lane site. But I would urge them to use the facilities at Stourbridge instead."

However a number of local residents who live near the Anchor Lance site have taken to social media to voice their concerns. Dudley North MP, Marco Longhi has come out in support of his constituents, many of whom live a distance away from the site in Stourbridge. Mr Longhi said:  

“I have seen a number of comments on social media about this issue and have already started to liaise with the Council. I am fearful the impact this could have on local fly-tipping. I have been working with local community groups such as the Friends of Wrens Nest Nature Reserve and Priory Boxing Club to help tackle the current fly-tipping problem.

"I believe this decision is going in the wrong direction and the local councils need to sort it. This won’t just impact Dudley but also other local areas such as South Staffordshire who border Dudley North. 

“Personally, I believe the additional fee, demanded by Labour run Wolverhampton Council, at such short notice is disgraceful. I am liaising with Dudley Council to see what options are available. There are calls for a more central site, the difficulty being nobody wants it near their own properties.

“I agree that the tip in Stourbridge is out of the way for many in Dudley North. Although this is a Council matter, I will see what can be done, as soon as possible. We must avoid any decision that could have a negative impact on fly-tipping.” 

From April 1, Stourbridge Household Waste Recycling Centre is open every day from 8am-4pm.  From April 6, the council has also increased the opening times to 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday and 8am-4pm, on Saturday and Sunday. People need to book an appointment to use the site. The new measures will allow an extra 1,000 cars a week through the Stourbridge site, and increase overall capacity to more than 4,500 a week, while still maintaining the current social distancing measures on site.

Details can be found at dudley.gov.uk.