SANDWELL Council has confirmed that its Oldbury tip is for Sandwell residents only.

The council issued a statement today (Wednesday April 7) stating that the Household Recycling Centre at Shidas Lane in Oldbury can only be used by residents of Sandwell borough.

Dudley Council had contacted Sandwell Council to discuss Dudley residents potentially using the tip.

It made the move after ending an agreement which has traditionally allowed residents from Dudley borough to use Wolverhampton Council's tip in Anchor Lane, Wolverhampton.   

The news leaves Dudley Council still seeking a replacement tip for thousands of its residents to use. 

A Sandwell Council spokesperson said: “We’re unable to open up our facilities for use by people from outside the borough.

“We only have one recycling centre in Sandwell, and we need to ensure that it is available for Sandwell residents to use.”

Residents in the Dudley borough have for many years been able to use the household waste site in Anchor Lane, which is owned and run by Wolverhampton City Council, as part of an agreement with Dudley Council which has paid an annual fee to enable its residents to use the site.

Local authority bosses in Dudley, however, say they have been left with no alternative but to end the deal after a request to increase the fee by 65 per cent.

From Thursday April 1 Dudley residents have no longer been able to use the Anchor Lane site and are instead asked to use the Dudley Council owned household waste recycling centre in Stourbridge.

Sandwell borough includes Cradley Heath, Old Hill, Oldbury and Rowley Regis.