OXFORDSHIRE could be left with only one tip for general waste as the county council attempts to change attitudes to dumping rubbish.

County Hall has already unveiled plans to cut the number of dumps from eight to five in Oxfordshire.

But now, under new radical plans being drawn up, only recyclable rubbish will be allowed at four out of five centres by 2015.

Waste experts believe removing the “easy option” of taking large items to a tip will force residents to change their ways.

But others fear it will spark more flytipping.

The move is set to save Oxfordshire County Council, the authority responsible for the county’s waste, £750,000 a year.

Ros Weatherall, of campaign group OxClean, said people needed a legitimate place to take rubbish.

She said: “If you have taken all the tiles out of your bathroom what are you supposed to do with them?”

In December, the council announced rubbish dumps in the county would be cut from eight to five as part of its attempt to save £155m over five years.

A report to the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership meeting on Friday states that banning rubbish from tips was needed to “influence behavioural change”.

But Oxford City councillor John Tanner, who is a member of the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership, said the policy risked an increase in flytipping.

Mr Tanner said: “This is a way of transferring costs from the county – which runs the centres – to the districts, that deal with flytipping and collect items from the door.”

At present, all eight centres take general waste along with material such as metal, wood and glass to be recycled.

The county is to close three sites and make Redbridge trade-only.

A new centre will be built in Kidlington and will take general waste.

It would mean a long trip if you live in Wantage or West Oxfordshire and need to dump waste which cannot be recycled.

The four remaining district sites – at Drayton, Dix Pit, Oakley Wood and a relocated Alkerton facility in Banbury – will be for recycling and composting only.

Jenny Hannaby, Vale of White Horse district councillor responsible for commercial services, said: “To take facilities away will pose problems in the long run in terms of flytipping.”

George Reynolds, Cherwell District Council’s portfolio holder for environment, said the move was a “retrograde step” and would leave some residents facing a long haul to dispose of rubbish.

The county said the number of visits to its rubbish dumps, and the amount of rubbish collected, had decreased over the last three years despite a rise in population.

Ian Hudspeth, county cabinet member for infrastructure, said district councils were providing better rubbish and recycling collections. And he denied the new policy would increase flytipping.

He said: “You are inferring that people who are law abiding and go to a dump now will suddenly turn into law breakers. I don’t think that will happen.”

Mr Hudspeth said he would be working with district counterparts to minimise the financial impact.

In addition to using countywide recycling centres, residents can have rubbish collected as part of district council-run kerbside collections.

Councils also run bulky waste collections services, where householders can arrange for large items to be collected from their door.

To request a collection by the city council call 01865 249811, or contact your relevant district council.