The communities travelling miles to dispose of waste

Plans to reopen a tip near Keighley have been welcomed by the community - but across West Yorkshire, some residents are travelling miles to dispose of their waste.

Sugden End Recycling Centre will reopen later this year, with Bradford Council diverting £400,000 from culture funding, it was confirmed last week.

Meanwhile, people in Ilkley and Birstall have told of the struggles they face with fewer facilities.

"People in the Wharfe Valley are just stuck," says Steve Walker.

The 70-year-old from Ilkley has a 40-minute round trip to Keighley Household Waste Recycling Centre, despite living 10 minutes away from his nearest location in Menston.

Ellar Ghyll recycling centre is run by Leeds City Council.

"If you go to Menston, they do not like you using it because you do not live up there," he says.

Instead, Steve travels to Keighley.

"It is absolute bedlam, people queue for at least half an hour," he says.

Back in 2024, the tip Walker used was closed as part of cost-cutting measures by the then Labour authority at Bradford Council.

The Golden Butts recycling site in Ilkley has now been sold to a housing developer.

When the tips were closed, concerns over an increase in fly-tipping were raised to the authority.

Walker says that fear has now been realised.

"Everywhere you go, you see mattresses at the side of the road," he says.

"There are old suitcases and builders' rubbish.

"It is just disgraceful."

The most recent government figures show the number of reports of fly-tipping in the Bradford Council area rose from 18,456 in 2023-24 to 19,697 in 2024-25.

Bradford Council is currently investigating a case of fly-tipping on Ilkley Moor which was discovered by a dog walker earlier this month.

The pile included broken furniture, wood, paint cans, garden waste and bags of household rubbish.

"I am ashamed of people that fly-tip, it spoils it for everyone else," says Suzanne Young.

The 64-year-old lives in Burley-in-Wharfedale and before it closed, would use the Golden Butts site at least once a month.

"What we had was always busy, it was always a queue of cars."

Bosses at the now Reform UK-led Bradford Council say they are "actively looking" for a new tip provision in Ilkley - but "cannot give a timetable" for when one might return.

Part of a farm has been suggested as a possible site.

In a letter to the authority, Ilkley councillors request that Wheatley Grange Farm is not sold without retaining part of the site next to the sewage works for a potential replacement centre.

Andrew Loy is among councillors to have signed the letter.

"It has been two-and-a-half years since the tip shut, and it is still one of the top issues people raise with us," he says.

"People have to travel a 22-mile round trip to Keighley," he says, acknowledging their "frustration".

"The council now has to decide if the site is viable."

Dan Pearson's dad volunteers with the Friends of Ilkley Moor group, and says the most recent fly-tipping case is "heartbreaking".

"I know they spend a lot of time trying to stop general rubbish up there," he says.

"Ultimately, it does not get dealt with."

Pearson has welcomed the plan to reopen Sugden End.

"It is just basic services," he says.

"I pay a lot of council tax but I do not even have anywhere to drop my bin bags off.

"We should have these services without having to have hour-long round trips."

Twenty miles from Ilkley, a campaign to restore the tip in Birstall continues.

Kirklees Council closed the tip on Nab Lane in the town as part of cost-cutting measures.

Councillor Joshua Sheard is challenging the authority to follow in the footsteps of Bradford and reinstate the tip.

"If they can do it, why can't we?" he says.

The Conservative councillor for the Birstall and Birkenshaw ward also wants to see more co-operation between authorities so people have greater choice on which tip they can use.

"The money is there, the now Reform cabinet has to take the opportunity to go forward with a cross-border report and speak to neighbouring councils," he says.

"I do not see why we cannot co-operate with Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield to manage it on a regional level.

"It is something that is just incredibly basic that everyone has the right to access."

Michelle Street used the tip on Nab Lane every week before its closure.

The 56-year-old now travels to Dewsbury to dispose of her waste.

Although the journey is only 25 minutes, there are increasing wait times at the facility.

"The queues are horrendous - you can be there for an hour plus," she says.

"In all reality are people actually going to do that?"

Jonathan Harvey, who also lives in Birstall, says the number of people choosing to fly-tip is "outrageous".

"You see it dumped on back alleys - people have no concern for other people's land or property."

Councillor Ian Walker, Bradford Council's Executive Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities, said: "The reopening of Sugden End Household Waste Recycling Centre will make it much easier for residents to dispose of their waste, reducing the queues and congestion currently experienced by many residents.

"We are reviewing HWRC provision, with various options being explored.

"Fly-tipping is a real problem across the whole country. We will continue to work with residents and partners to minimise this illegal behaviour. "

A Kirklees Council spokesperson said: "We know the closure means some residents have to travel further to access a Household Waste and Recycling Centre, and we also recognise the impact that ongoing major infrastructure projects are having on traffic in parts of Kirklees and we're exploring ways to support residents while these temporary traffic issues remain.

"Residents can still use alternative household waste and recycling facilities across Kirklees, and we will keep service arrangements under review as part of the ongoing management of the service.

"We haven't seen any evidence that directly links reported fly-tipping to the closure of the Nab Lane site but we are continuing to monitor the data closely and will take appropriate action if the evidence changes.

"We also continue to work with Keep Britain Tidy and other partners to better understand the causes of fly-tipping and develop effective measures to prevent and tackle it as part of our future strategy."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.