Residents will once again have to pay East Lothian Council for the uplift of unwanted bulky household items.

For the past 11 years, the service has been free. However, a new charge of £5 per item will come into force on July 3.

When Labour returned to power at John Muir House, it scrapped the previous bulky uplift charging regime introduced by the SNP/Lib Dem administration.

Those charges ranged from £22.50 to £70 per uplift, depending on the item.

With East Lothian Council in serious financial difficulty - it is estimating it needs to find about £70m in savings over the next five years - residents are again being asked to pay for the uplifts.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, council leader, said: “The introduction of this charge was agreed at the budget meeting by full council and will help cover some of the costs incurred for appropriate disposal of the items.

"Each household in East Lothian however will be entitled to one free uplift each calendar year.

"So if they have booked an uplift in September they would have to pay for any subsequent booked uplifts until September the following year.

"Some items though, if no longer required but still in good and/or working condition, may be able to be donated for reuse and all items can be taken to a recycling centre.”

A council report in December 2011 showed that cases of fly-tipping in East Lothian had nearly doubled since the previous charges for bulky uplifts were brought in.

Items eligible for collection must be listed domestic items such as fridges, mattresses or pieces of indoor freestanding furniture. Fixtures and fittings or commercial waste cannot be included. Each item should also be able to be lifted by two people.

Items that can be included in a bulky waste uplift include:

• bed bases and frames

• carpets

• ‘White goods’ such as cookers, fridges and dishwashers

• mattresses

• sofas and armchairs

• storage heaters (bricks removed)

• tables - over 3 foot by 3 foot

• televisions - over 32 inches

• wardrobes

Items that cannot be collected include:

• baths/toilets/sinks

• bikes and scooters

• building materials, including bags of rubble/soil

• car batteries or any other type of battery

• electric recliners

• garage doors

• garden waste

• gas bottles

• kitchen units and worktops

• pianos

• trampolines

Any bulky waste booking made from June 15 may be chargeable but full details will be provided by council staff at time of booking.

Households requiring to request a bulky waste uplift can do so online through myeastlothian, or by phoning 01875 824 305.