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Booking system to tackle long queues outside tips

OIiver CastleLocal Democracy Reporting Service
BBC Cars and trucks of various colours queuing in a narrow street on an industrial estate. The queue stretches back as far as we can see. In the foreground is a patch of green grass. In the background are green trees.BBC
Queuing traffic near a recycling centre in Lincoln, in June this year

A booking system will be introduced at Lincolnshire tips in an attempt to tackle long queues.

The changes, which will apply at 11 household waste recycling centres, were agreed by Lincolnshire County Council at a meeting on Tuesday.

In June, a business blocked an entrance to a tip in Lincoln out of "pure frustration", after queuing traffic meant people faced long delays to access businesses in the area.

Councillor Danny Brookes said: "The service that we've got is creaking under the pressure that it's now facing and we didn't have a choice. We had to do something."

A public consultation, which had more than 2,000 responses, found queuing and traffic management issues at the county's tips were the most common complaints.

Some staff at waste recycling centres also reported increasing levels of confrontation with frustrated customers.

Brookes, the council portfolio holder for the environment, said: "The staff are dealing with frustrated motorists who's been queuing for possibly an hour.

"There's no wonder that they're frustrated. Our staff shouldn't have to be dealing with that."

Local Democracy Reporting Service Councillor Danny Brookes, who has short, grey hair, wearing an orange, checked blazer, a white shirt, and a blue and white patterned tie. He is smiling at the camera and is stood in front of a wall with a blue and yellow leaf pattern on.Local Democracy Reporting Service
Councillor Danny Brookes says household waste recycling services are "creaking under the pressure"

Councillors were told there were about 1.2 million visits to the tips each year and the amount of waste processed annually had increased by nearly 50%, to about 66,700 tonnes, since 2021.

Officials said this meant the current model – which has unrestricted access, minimal monitoring and limited traffic control – was unsustainable.

In June, staff at Drain Wise said they decided to park a van blocking the entrance to the Great Northern Terrace Household Waste Recycling Centre, in Lincoln, after "multiple meetings with councillors" left them feeling like they were "not getting anywhere".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, waste bosses said the booking system would allow "controlled, staggered access".

Residents would be able to see when the centres were in high demand and book for quieter times.

The booking system, which will be rolled out at a later date, is expected to cost about £30,000 per year.

Those who do not want to book online are likely to be able to call by phone.

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