All over MoleValley and elsewhere schools have needed little encouragement to start composting alongside the new wave of garden clubs.

Suddenly they have been dealt a body blow with new regulations from Defra requiring all schools to pay £50 to register if they have a compost heap.

So much for encouraging the young to help save the planet from climate change!  Surely, you say, there's a mistake, there will be a dispensation for organisations such as schools and similar organisations.

No is the answer - Defra have confirmed that schools will have to register and pay £50 for the privilege, and the same rules will apply to any organisation (other than a private individual) if they want to compost. eg allotment societies, youth clubs, etc.

Ask anybody in the street what they think about this, and most people just don't believe it.   Mention it to a teacher and they are incandescent.   Everybody's second response is " nobody will take any notice, and will just carry on as before".   But why should we bring in new regulations that are just patently wrong? 

To be fair to Defra, this is still in the consultation stage, with a 100 page document on Revised Waste Exemptions covering everything that could possibly be called 'waste' and providing revised limits on the amount of each waste stream that is considered 'low-risk'.   [ It includes such gems as the 'Disposal of waste from a railway sanitary convenience', solemnly declaring that an environmental permit will be required if more that 25 litres is deposited at any one time onto a railway track.]

But the associated Regulations have already been written, so now is the time for action and protest to provide some sensible changes to the regulations so that composting doesn't have to become a moonlighting operation.

The consultation documents can be found  on the Defra website.

Comments should be sent to exemptions@defra.gsi.gov.uk  by Thursday 23 October 2008