THE price for collecting bulky waste items should be halved, according to a councillor.

Residents currently pay £44 for up to 10 items to be collected from outside their homes, or £26 per fridge and freezer.

But Cllr Andrew Waller, executive member for the environment at City of York Council, said he would like to see the costs halved to make it easier for residents to get rid of large items.

Speaking at a meeting on Monday he said: “I’m pressing for this charge to be reduced. We want people to do the right thing and it’s getting in the way.”

A council report said the charges “can be seen as expensive” if people only want to dispose of one or two items.

Cllr Waller praised a community project by Bell Farm Residents Association, which saw neighbours team up to get rid of items. When they had 10 items, they booked a collection and spread the cost between the group.

The association said they would be happy to advise other groups on setting up a similar scheme in their neighbourhoods.

The meeting also heard that there was a slight reduction in the number of calls for fly-tipping, from 2,276 in 2016 to 2,151 in 2017.