Landfill tax paid as a result of the winter floods should be returned to councils so that they can invest in jobs and growth, local government leaders have demanded.
Almost 30,000 tonnes of household goods have been dumped in landfill sites after the winter floods - leaving local authorities with a £2.25m tax bill owed to the government.
The Local Government Association (LGA) estimates that so far councils have collected an average 1.66 tonnes of household goods and freezer waste from each of the 16,500 homes and businesses that have been flooded.
Items affected by flood water following the devastation wreaked by storms Desmond and Frank in areas including Lancashire and Cumbria cannot be recycled as they are classed as 'contaminated' and have to be taken to landfill.
Local authorities are still assessing the impact of the devastation - particularly the repair bill for roads and bridges which is estimated to run into hundreds of millions of pounds.
The LGA says councils will need more financial support from the Government over the coming months.
Cllr Peter Box, LGA environment spokesman, said: 'We are calling on government to allow councils to keep all of this landfill tax.
'This money could make a major difference in helping councils to continue their sterling work with the massive clear-up and returning households and businesses to normality.'
