Booking system set to be introduced at Lincolnshire's tips to reduce long queues and staff intimidation
A booking system will be introduced at Lincolnshire’s tips in a bid to tackle long queues and reduce intimidation of staff.
Members of Lincolnshire County Council’s executive have now agreed to introduce a new system at the county’s 11 Household Waste Recycling Centres after issues with queues at some sites and complaints from neighbouring businesses about drivers obstructing access to their properties, disrupting deliveries and deterring customers.
The agreed measures include the introduction of a booking system, alongside a programme of infrastructure improvements to help reduce queuing, improve safety, support higher recycling rates and ensure the service remains fit for the future.
It will also support improvements in recycling performance by allowing staff more time to assist residents with correctly separating recyclable materials.
After the meeting on Tuesday, July 14, executive member for the environment, Danny Brookes (Reform UK – Ingoldmells Rural) 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.
“You’ve got to take action when something is struggling, so that’s the reason why we’ve brought the booking system in.”
Coun Brookes explained the booking system aims to reduce customer frustration and reduce queues.
He added: “Obviously, if you’ve got a time slot, you turn up at your time slot, you’re not having to queue.
“The staff are dealing with frustrated motorists who have been queuing for possibly an hour.
“So I can understand why the motorists are frustrated, especially if they go into that site and say ‘well that waste stream is closed. You’ve got to now take your rubbish back home.’
“There’s no wonder that they’re frustrated. Our staff shouldn’t have to be dealing with that.”
Councillors were told that there are an estimated 1.2 million visits a year to the tips, which process about 66,700 tonnes of waste per year.
They were also told that the annual waste tonnage at these centres has increased by almost 50 per cent since 2021. Officials say that this means that the current model – which has unrestricted access, minimal monitoring and limited traffic control – is unsustainable and needs to be reformed.
A public consultation – which had more than 2,000 responses – found that queuing and traffic management issues were the most common complaints, with some staff also reporting increasing levels of confrontation as a result of customer frustration linked to the long queues.
Officials also said costs are rising – with the price of delivering the current service increasing to a forecast £7.7 million in the 2025/26 financial year, equating to 30 per cent of the county council’s waste services budget.
During the meeting, executive member for children’s services, Natalie Oliver (Reform UK – Woodhall Spa and Wragby) said she felt it was important for the council to introduce a new system that is ‘effective immediately’ so that the various issues can be tackled.
She said data could then be gathered to ‘look at other options’ in the future.
It may also help to identify unauthorised tradespeople abusing the service by making frequent visits.
A booking system was employed previous during the Covid -19 pandemic to help with social distancing.
Other improvements will include upgraded signage, improved layouts and investment in site infrastructure where required.
Waste bosses will now develop a booking system which will allow ‘controlled, staggered access’.
It would also allow residents to see periods of high demand, enabling them to choose times when the tips are quieter when they book to go.
A phone booking system will also be developed to ensure that people who don’t want to book online or don’t have access to the internet can still book a slot.
The booking system is expected to cost approximately £30,000 per year for the authority to operate.
Addressing concerns that people unable to book a slot may resort to flytipping, the council says the booking system will not be introduced immediately. Officers will begin developing the scheme and will roll it out a later date.
They will provide residents with plenty of notice, clear guidance on how the system will work, answers to frequently asked questions and opportunities to find out more before any changes come into effect.