Claims an increase in fly-tipping is unconnected to controversial changes at council tips have been dismissed.

A Bradford Council report says the rise across the district in waste dumping is unrelated to the introduction last summer of residents’ permits at household waste recycling sites.

It states fly-tipping is “cyclical” and usually goes up and down over time, and that incidents were already increasing before the changes took effect But Bingley Rural councillor Mike Ellis, from Oxenhope, a member of the council’s environment and waste management overview and scrutiny committee, refutes the explanation.

“It is rather early for the council to be making claims that the residents’ permits have not contributed to any increase in fly-tipping,” he said.

“The fact is there has been an increase in tipping since the introduction of the permits, and to claim it is merely a cyclical matter is rather flimsy.

“I fully recognise that in the past there have been peaks and troughs in fly-tipping levels, but there is nothing to suggest the residents’ permit scheme will not have a long-lasting effect.”

In the report, Ian Bairstow – the council’s strategic director for environment and sport – says that in the April to June period last year, before the permit scheme was introduced, the number of complaints and clean-ups were up by about 35 per cent on the previous year.