The decision to keep a booking system across Kent's recycling tips has been branded illogical – as fly-tipping cases have risen by 23% since the scheme was launched.

Kent County Council revealed earlier this month appointment slots - introduced as an emergency measure during the pandemic - are set to stay for good, after a “large response” to a public consultation held last year.

But it comes as government figures show reports of rubbish being illegally dumped across the Garden of England jumped from 25,183 in 2019/20 to more than 31,000 the following year.

The decision has prompted an angry backlash from south Canterbury councillor Mike Sole, who blames the introduction of the system for a sudden spike in cases in and around the city.

“It can surely be no coincidence that this has occurred at a time when an appointment system has been introduced at household waste sites,” Cllr Sole said.

“What else can you put it down to? There can be no other reason for it.

“I can’t understand KCC’s decision because it’s just an inconvenience – it’s an unnecessary thing to do.

“It’s illogical and counter-productive. I don’t think anyone at KCC is looking at the increased amount of fly-tipping.”

Across Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay, meanwhile, the number of reports of fly-tipping has risen by almost two-fifths.

Over the same period, Tonbridge and Malling has seen the largest percentage rise in the county, with 75%.

In Dover, cases shot up by three-fifths, while Gravesham and Medway were the only parts of the county to report increases of less than 22%.

Graphics produced by Canterbury City Council show it is currently dealing with more than 150 reports of illegal waste dumping.

It shows the centre of Canterbury has been blighted by 66 cases lately, while the villages surrounding the city are the subject of 29 ongoing incidents.

Radfall Road, on the outskirts of Whitstable, is one of the district’s hotspots, with dumped waste scheduled for collection from five locations along the route.

“There seems to be no logic to having a booking system, apart from perhaps controlling the number of people who go to tips at certain times of the day,” Cllr Sole continued.

“We need to make it as easy as possible for people to dispose of their waste properly, and any barrier, like a booking system, will deter people from doing that.

“Most of this stuff is in black bags and wouldn’t be charged for if it was taken to the tips – so we need to remove these barriers for people to get rid of stuff.”

According to the National Rural Crime Network, uninsured landowners could be faced with clean-up bills of more than £10,000 if their property is targeted by illicit dumpers.

City council spokesman Rob Davies says “it’s an indictment on 21st century Britain that we expect our teams to continue to be kept very busy by fly-tipping in the months and years ahead”.

“The district has had its fair share of incidents as the figures show, [but] there are many places dealing with it far worse than we are,” he added.

“It’s important to stress the way we record fly-tipping means anything from an abandoned black sack is classed in the same way as a huge pile of builder’s waste or rubbish from a household clearance.

“There are far fewer than 2,111 genuine incidents of what most people would consider to be fly-tipping.”

Data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs shows no fines resulting from court convictions were issued in the district last year – and that none were issued in 2019/20.

The authority instead carried out 214 enforcement actions, including 35 fixed penalty notices, in 2020-21.

Susan Carey, KCC’s cabinet member for the environment, took the decision to keep the booking system following a meeting of the authority’s Environment and Transport Cabinet Committee this month.

Members voted in favour of recommendations to retain the system and to introduce same-day bookings at all 18 household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) in Kent.

KCC disputes claims the system has had an effect on the amount of rubbish being dumped illegally.

A spokesman said: "KCC monitors the amount of flytipping brought to us for disposal by the district councils and by this measure fly-tipping has remained at the same level since 2014.

“We maintain the view there is no link between the introduction of the booking system for HWRCs and levels of fly-tipping.

“KCC maintains plenty of capacity and unlimited access for residents to dispose of their household waste at its HWRCs, as well as offering a non-statutory service for disposing of soil, rubble, plasterboard and hardcore for a fee.”

Backed by 52%

Kent’s environment chief Cllr Carey says the public response to the KCC consultation was “the largest that any of us can recall”, with 52% of the 10,000 respondents saying they were in favour of keeping the system.

“There was a clear margin in favour of those who felt positive about keeping the booking system,” she said.

“The booking system was introduced as an emergency measure to keep visitors and staff safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s been changed in response to customer feedback, with slots now available at half-hourly intervals and with no limit to the number of bookings that can be made on one day or up to a month in advance.

“As well as minimising the time spent queuing to access a site, the booking system has brought environmental, operational and communication benefits.”

KCC has successfully trialled on-the-day bookings at tips in Folkestone and Maidstone.

They will be extended to all sites over the next two months.