Epsom & Ewell has become Surrey's Rubbish Dump

10.28.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 13th Jun 2009

Most journeys by Britaniacrest lorries are to take rubbish brought into Epsom from other boroughs back out again to landfill sites

Epsom and Ewell's "tip" in Blenheim Road is still being used to process far more waste from other boroughs than from within Epsom and Ewell, over two years after complaints were made to both Surrey County Council (the waste disposal authority) and SITA which manages the waste disposal contract.

Huge Britaniacrest lorries continue to use both the town centre and residential roads in Epsom to deal with waste which originates from outside the borough. Latest figures show that In 2008/9 the Blenheim Road waste transfer station processed 34,397 tonnes of waste from outside the borough, against 24,393 tonnes from within Epsom and Ewell. Rubbish from within Reigate & Banstead and Mole Valley comes top, with Elmbridge and Tandridge making up the remainder.

Cllr Julie Morris said "It's difficult to know how to rid our borough of having to process waste from elsewhere, when Surrey CC's contractual arrangements apparently allow this, but it is totally unacceptable. Our traffic problems are bad enough without refuse lorries from other boroughs bringing rubbish in, followed by the Britaniacrest lorries taking it away again to landfill sites. All we can do is to keep up the pressure for the arrangements to be changed once the contract comes up for renewal. Everyone is sick of the sight of these Britaniacrest lorries and the people of Hook Road face up to 90 journeys of these vehicles every single day, with the noise and vibration that goes with them."