Plans to change how recycling centres are used in North Yorkshire will be considered by councillors on Tuesday, 21st October.
The proposal would see access limited to North Yorkshire residents only, and owners of commercial-like vehicles would be allowed up to 12 free visits per year to dispose of household waste at the county’s 20 recycling centres.
If approved, the council estimates annual savings of up to £405,000 and improved access due to a reduction in visits from outside the county. Last year, the sites received 1.6 million visits and handled 64,500 tonnes of waste, with around one in six users coming from outside North Yorkshire.
Cllr Richard Foster, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for managing the environment, said: “The aim of the review was to identify savings to help achieve a balanced budget and to deliver efficient and effective services. We believe that the proposals strike a balance between keeping the service free and easy to use for residents, while making significant savings.”
He added: “We have found that most neighbouring local authorities restrict access for non-residents and set limits on commercial-like vehicles. The experience of these councils, along with independent research, does not result in increased fly-tipping, although we will continue to monitor the levels.”
A 12-week consultation held last year received 3,000 responses. Of those, 69 per cent supported restricting access to residents, while 61 per cent backed a 12-visit limit for commercial-like vehicles.
Residents would be asked to register by providing their name, address, and vehicle registration, which would be checked at the site. Around 70 per cent of local authorities already use similar systems.
The council currently allows commercial-like vehicles to pre-register without any limit on the number of visits, which can result in commercial waste being disposed of free of charge. Introducing a 12-visit limit is expected to cut around 36,000 visits a year.
If the changes go ahead, the council has said it will inform residents of the new system and what action they need to take to continue using recycling centres.
