Booking system to roll-out at four household recycling centres in Dorset
It was due to be rolled out at all ten of the council's sites
A booking system is set to be introduced at four of Dorset's household recycling centres.
It was due to be rolled out at all ten of the council's sites, but the authority's since revised its plans after feedback from local people.
The changes will affect Dorchester, Wimborne, Shaftesbury, and Sherborne.
The remaining six centres (Bridport, Swanage, Weymouth, Portland, Wareham and Blandford) will continue to operate as usual - without slot bookings - while the council looks to strengthen its measures to prevent commercial misuse.
'We've listened to residents'
Cllr Jon Andrews, Cabinet Member for Place Services, explained the decision: “We’ve listened to residents and understand their concerns. We still believe a booking system is the best way to protect our recycling centres from future service cuts, but this new approach allows us to prioritise the areas with the most pressing issues.”
The local authority say the targeted rollout will help:
- Reduce cross-border use in north Dorset, cutting waste disposal costs, as around 20% of the waste received at Shaftesbury and Sherborne comes from outside of the county
- Ease congestion and queuing at Dorchester and Wimborne
- Gather real-world data to assess the system’s impact in areas of Dorset before considering a wider rollout
The council now say they will closely monitor how the system performs, and if the system proves as effective as Dorset Council expects, it will help shape the future of how all the HRCs operate, ensuring long-term sustainability without compromising service quality.
Cllr Andrews added: “We’ve heard from many residents who say, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ And we get that. But the reality is, the current service is costing more than it should, and some areas do need ‘fixing’ to a certain extent.
“A booking system will save hundreds of thousands of pounds - money that helps us keep all our HRCs open and avoid reducing hours or closing locations.”
All 10 recycling centres will remain available and free of charge for all Dorset Council residents.