New booking system coming to Lincolnshire recycling centres

Residents will soon be able to plan their visits to Lincolnshire's household waste recycling centres, with a new booking system being introduced across the county from 7th December.

Bookings will open from 30th November, giving residents the chance to book a convenient time before the new system comes into effect.

The change is being introduced to help manage visits more effectively, as Lincolnshire's recycling centres continue to get busier, Lincolnshire County Council said.

At peak times, large numbers of vehicles can arrive together, leading to queues and congestion both within recycling centres and on surrounding roads.

Introducing booking will help spread visits more evenly throughout the day, reducing pressure at the busiest times and helping traffic move through sites more smoothly.

The council said there will be sufficient booking capacity to accommodate the number of residents currently using Lincolnshire's recycling centres, with visits spread throughout the day rather than large numbers of vehicles arriving at the same time.

A proportion of appointments will also be available for same-day booking, subject to availability.

Councillor Danny Brookes, Executive Member for Environment at Lincolnshire County Council, said the council wants visiting recycling centres "to be as straightforward and consistent as possible".

"Our sites are getting busier and one of the challenges we see is large numbers of vehicles arriving at the same time. That can mean queues within the sites and, at some locations, traffic building up on the roads outside," Cllr Brookes said.

"Booking will allow us to spread those visits more evenly across the day. This isn't about stopping people using our recycling centres - there will be sufficient capacity for the number of residents currently visiting our sites - it's about managing those visits better," he said.

"We'll be sharing plenty of information over the coming weeks, so residents know exactly what they need to do before the system comes into effect," Cllr Brookes said.

Residents will be able to book a visit up to two weeks in advance, and will be given a 15-minute time slot in which to arrive at their chosen recycling centre.

When making a booking, residents will select the recycling centre they wish to visit, their preferred date and time, their vehicle type and the types of waste they are bringing.

Confirmation will be sent by email or text message, and residents will be able to amend or cancel their booking if their plans change.

Residents who are unable to make a booking online will be able to book through the county council's customer call centre.