Solihull tip invaded by Brummies

STRICTER controls are to be introduced at Solihull’s rubbish tip in response to concerns about lengthy queues to get into the site.

Visitors have faced waits of up to three hours to enter the Bickenhill Household Waste Recycling Centre following its reopening in May.

And it is thought that the problems stem partly from Birmingham residents popping in from across the borough border.

While the council has resisted calls to follow the example of other authorities and introduce a booking system, plans have been announced to clamp down on visits from outside the borough. There has been concern that people living over the border in Birmingham are putting added strain on the site’s capacity. Councillor Ken Hawkins, cabinet member for the environment and highways, said: “We’ll be asking residents to bring a copy of their council tax bill – paper or electronic – with them to allow them entry on to the site. We propose to bring this system in over the next couple of weeks.”

The council had previously said that introducing time slots would not change the fact that the number of visitors would still need to be limited.

The site reopened to the general public on May 18, with permit holders allowed to return from June 1.