A STEEP fall in flytipping could be reversed when two recycling centres are closed, campaigners were warning last night.

There were about 3,000 reports of flytipping across the county last year, which cost taxpayers about £100,000 to clean up.

Oxfordshire County Council’s plans to close two of its eight recycling centres to save money have led to fears the problem will rise.

The council is to close the sites at Stanford-in-the-Vale and the Dean Pit centre near Chipping Norton over the next four years, however it hoping to open a £3m flagship recycling centre in Kidlington next year.

The Redbridge site in Oxford will soon only open at weekends.

Wantage landowner Roger Tredinnick had rubbish dumped on his land, near Harcourt Green, last month.

Mr Tredinnick, 56, of Wallingford Street, said: “If the council is to go ahead with this closing of the tip sites, this problem is going to get worse and worse.”

In the financial year 2006/7, there were 6,370 incidents of flytipping in the county, costing taxpayers £321,000 according to figures compiled by the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

CPRE Oxfordshire branch campaigner manager Helena Whall said: “On the whole, that is a vast improvement, but it doesn’t go far enough.

“Flytipping affects the amenity of the local area, but it also poses a threat to humans and wildlife as most of the stuff that is thrown away is not particularly nice stuff, that can damage the environment.

“In this day and age, we should not be having this problem. There is no excuse, really.”

She said she believed the recycling site closures were sure to lead to a rise in illegal dumping.

She added: “It will have a knock-on effect, but only time will tell.”

However Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Louise Mendonça denied closures would lead to a rise in flytipping.

She said: “There is no excuse for illegal behaviour, nor any good reason to assume that law abiding residents would overlook reasonable and legal alternatives in favour of criminal activity.”

In the last financial year, Oxford City Council dealt with 846 cases of flytipping, which cost £30,107 to clear up. In the Cherwell district, there were 557 incidents of illegal dumping, which left Cherwell District Council with a £19,693 bill for the tidying up operation.

West Oxfordshire District Council cleared 573 incidents of flytipping, that cost the taxpayer £26,914.

In the Vale of White Horse, there were 451 incidents, while in South Oxfordshire the recorded incidents numbered 558.

Each of the councils pays contractor Biffa £110,000 a year for services which include clearing up after flytippers.

bwilkinson@oxfordmail.co.uk