The government has called for councils to stop charging people for disposing of DIY waste, just months after Kirklees began new fees.

A consultation has begun on a new litter strategy that will discourage fees for household waste.

Kirklees Council began new charges for some forms of waste, including tiles, old bathroom ceramics and building rubble, last year.

The fees start at £5 depending on how much is deposited.

The council is also charging £20 for bulky waste items such as fridges, cookers and washing machines.

Chairs dumped at the side of Bradford Road

The government proposals aim to double the fines to £150 for the most serious litterers, while vehicle owners could receive penalty notices when it can be proved litter was thrown from their car – even if it was discarded by somebody else.

Communities Minister Marcus Jones said: “It’s time we consigned litter louts and fly-tippers to the scrap heap of history. Through our first ever National Litter Strategy we plan to do exactly that.

“For too long a selfish minority have got away with spoiling our streets. It’s time we sent them a clear message – clean up or face having to cough up.”

Members of the public can take part in the survey at https://consult.defra.gov.uk/environment/litter-penalties/consultation/

A Kirklees Council spokesperson said: "The council has been given no indication that the Government Litter Strategy proposals will have any impact on our existing waste collection arrangements.

"There is no statutory duty for the council to dispose of construction waste, however we understand that DIY waste can be generated by householders, and as such they need to dispose of it. To enable this we will take DIY construction waste as part of our bulky waste service, for which we charge (as permitted under the Controlled Waste Regulations (England and Wales) 2012).

"The government’s proposals are more likely to impact on council’s who charge for disposing of waste at their household waste sites, something that we do not do, as such we do not expect the policy to have any impact on our service delivery. We will however pay close attention to the outcomes of the consultation."