WAVERLEY Borough Council charges the most in the country for collecting bulky waste items, according to BBC analysis of 391 local authorities across Britain.

In some parts of the UK the service provided by local authorities is free, while in other areas the cost can rise to more than £40 for a single item – as is the case in Waverley borough.

Bulky waste is defined as furniture, household electrical items, such as televisions, and white goods like fridges and freezers – essentially items no longer needed, but which cannot fit into a bin.

Nationally, Waverley tops the list with a first time charge of £44 – increasing to £52 for two items, £60 for three, £68 for four, £76 for five and £94 for between six and nine.

Neighbouring Guildford Borough Council charges £34 for a large item, £57 for two to four items, £84 for five to ten and £160 for a small clearance.

East Hampshire District Council charges £16.72 for the first item, £27.85 for one large or two small items and £39 for a cubic metre.

Responding to the figures, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) South East, which represents thousands of landowners, farmers and rural businesses, said consumers face a “postcode lottery” when it comes to getting rid of unwanted furniture and other large items.

Regional director Robin Edwards. said: “If charges are too high, you run the danger of other companies or individuals coming in and charging less and potentially not disposing of items in the correct manner.

“If waste is fly-tipped then it is taxpayers, farmers and landowners who have to foot the clean-up bill.

“The environmental cost is also considerable, especially if items such as fridges and freezers are dumped because refrigerants can damage waterways and soil.”

It also comes on the back of a Surrey County Council consultation on cost-cutting plans to close up to six community recycling centres in the county, including in Farnham and Cranleigh, which CLA South East has warned could also prompt an upsurge in fly-tipping.

The government says local authorities can charge “what they see fit” for bulky waste collections. A Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said: “It is up to local authorities to set their priorities for the collection of waste and recycling on a local level – based on the needs of their local communities and within the national waste policy.”

Defending Waverley’s charges, a spokesman said: “Looking after our environment is extremely important to us and we encourage our residents to recycle or re-use their bulky waste wherever possible.

“We work with charities such as The Furniture Helpline, who remove donated items and give them to families in crisis or refurbish and sell them at a low cost to those in need. Residents are also encouraged to donate to other charities if items are in good condition or recycle their bulky waste at community recycling centres.

“The collection of bulky waste is not a service we have to provide and as such, we charge for collections so they aren’t being subsidised by tax payers who don’t use the service.

“The collections are carried out by our waste collection contractor and our charging schedule is structured to enable us to cover our costs.

“This means that while our charge for the first item – at £44 – might appear relatively high, our charge for additional items – at just £8 – is lower than many other local authorities. In practice, only a small proportion of our special collections involve just a single item. We also provide the service to those in receipt of benefits at a loss.”

* Surrey County Council has confirmed that the Herald’s Don’t Dump the Dump petition, objecting to the proposed closure of Farnham’s Bourne Mill recycling centre, has reached enough signatures to be considered at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, January 29.

A response to the petition, which mustered 414 signatures, will be tabled at the meeting – to be held at County Hall, Kingston, at 2pm.