A MESS created by Bradford Council's inflexible policy on waste tips means Menston residents will have to travel miles to dump their rubbish, their MP has warned.

Leeds Council is tightening up restrictions from April on who can use its waste sites following a similar move by Bradford almost two years ago.

This means Menston residents will be banned from the tip a few hundred yards away over the border at Ellar Ghyll and have to travel across the district.

Shipley Conservative MP Philip Davies laid the blame at the door of Bradford Council.

He said: “It is clear Bradford Council is to blame for this mess.

"Local councils should work together to ensure all residents can take their waste to the nearest tip irrespective of which local authority area it happens to be in."

Leeds is introducing resident-only permits for waste sites as it claims it is had no choice following the move by Bradford Council.

Mr Davies contacted Neil Evans, Leeds City Council's director of environment and housing, who told him it was “with some regret” it had to close its doors to non-residents.

In a letter Mr Evans says: “Bradford introduced their restrictions in July 2013 and this effectively meant that any options for our residents to use sites in the east of Bradford (Bowling Back Lane and Midland Road) ended.

“Discussions have indicated no interest in moving away from these restrictions, or in any new charging or reciprocal arrangements for cross-boundary site use.

“Without reciprocal arrangements in place, however, Leeds is placed in untenable position of offering a subsidy to other councils, which is of no benefit to its own council tax payers.”

Mr Davies said: “West Yorkshire councils need to get together and sort this out and come to a common sense solution.”

Summing up reaction in Menston, Tony Aldred, an accountant, said: "It's just a nonsense - I live in Ellar Gardens and now I can't use the tip 100 yards away.

"We live in an LS postcode, but pay rates to Bradford, which frankly no-one wants to do anyway.

"We'd rather be part of Leeds and pay our money to them instead."

Bradford Councillor Jackie Whiteley (Con, Wharfedale) said she was "exasperated" by the situation.

"In 2013 Bradford Council announced that only Bradford residents could use Bradford tips.

"Fortunately Leeds City Council did not reciprocate and so we have continued to use the facility.

"From April this year Leeds City Council is intending to provide permits to Leeds residents thus ending the goodwill that had previously existed."

Councillor Andrew Thornton, Bradford Council’s executive member for environment and sport ,stood by the decision to introduce resident-only permits at its tips.

He said: “There are Household Waste Recycling Centres across the district, all within reasonable travelling distance for our Council Tax payers.

“We introduced the permits system as a cost saving measure in 2013.

"We cannot afford the luxury of paying to dispose of other people's rubbish.

"Our residents continue to use our Household Waste Recycling Centres but our Council Tax payers are no longer paying to dispose of waste brought here by residents of neighbouring councils."

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