All you need to know about new tip booking system
Dorset CouncilDorset Council has introduced a new booking system at four of its household recycling centres in a move it says will reduce queues and make the service fairer for taxpayers.
Anyone visiting the sites in Dorchester, Wimborne, Shaftesbury and Sherborne will need to book a slot online or by phone.
The council said it will smooth visits, tackle trade waste abuse and ensure residents were not subsidising people from neighbouring areas.
Why is the change happening?
Currently, Dorset residents pay to use recycling centres run by other councils, while people from outside the county can use Dorset's sites for free.
The authority said this was not sustainable and meant local households were covering the cost of visitors to the county.
Under the new system, non-Dorset residents will be charged a fee per visit, while Dorset residents will continue to use the sites for free.
The booking system is also intended to stop businesses disposing of trade waste at household sites, which is not permitted.
How will the booking system work?
Bookings can be made online up to two weeks in advance and will take "a couple of minutes", according to the council.
Same‑day slots will be available, and a phone line will be offered for people unable to book digitally.
Each of the four centres currently sees about 380 visits a day but the new system will provide 430 bookable slots per site.
Visitors will be given a 30-minute arrival window, and multiple bookings on the same day will be allowed.
The council's other six recycling centres will continue operating without a booking system for Dorset residents, except for DIY waste.
What does the council say?
Councillor Jon Andrews said the system had been designed to be "simple and fair".
"It improves the experience for Dorset households, ensures taxpayers aren't covering waste disposal costs for neighbouring areas, and helps prevent business use of household sites," he said.
He added that spreading demand would reduce queues, cut emissions and support the council's aim of maintaining a "cleaner, greener Dorset".
Will it lead to fly-tipping?
Dorset Council said independent reviews, including by Defra, had shown booking systems do not lead to increased fly-tipping, and instead help improve site efficiency and recycling rates.
The authority said it would review the system regularly and make changes based on feedback from residents.
