Almost 4,000 people have forced Kingston Council to U-turn on a planned £5 charge to visit the tip. The decision has been hailed as a “victory for residents” after thousands signed the petition against the plans to charge for non-household waste. Outrage sparked among the community over the £5 cost per visit to Villiers Road tip – that would have saved the authority £5,000 a year. In February, the council planned to only allow 20 annual visits to the tip per household – which also faced backlash from residents. Non-household waste includes rubbish from improvement, repair, or alteration to properties or DIY. Helen Hinton, group leader of the Kingston Independent Residents Group who created the petition, said told Kingston’s Full Council on July 20 that her petition shows “resident power can make changes”.