Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Tip booking system to stay
People dropping waste at the tip will still have to book a slot in advance when Covid restrictions are lifted next next month. The system was introduced as a temporary measure during the national lockdowns but will remain in place after June 21, when social distancing rules are set to end.
But the county council - which runs the recycling centres - says it will introduce same-day bookings in half-hour slots to make the process more flexible. Although there has been no official announcement, the changes have been communicated to a parish council in an email approved by the authority’s portfolio holder for waste recycling, Cllr Susan Carey. She was responding to a query about the booking system from
Cllr Carol Davis, vice-chairman of Herne and Broomfield Parish Council.
“The booking system was introduced as an emergency measure to control numbers so that we could safely reopen last May,” Cllr Carey writes. “Since then, we have increased availability of booking slots, lifted all limits on the number of visits and streamlined the booking service.
“The convenience and security of a booked space has proved popular with current visitors but we are aware that some people want to be able to visit at short notice.
“The next change to the system is that it will allow same day bookings in half-hourly slots. “We hope this will be operational in late June when the household waste recycling centres will once more be open Monday-saturday 8am-16.30pm and Sundays and Bank Holidays 9am-4pm. We are also considering other changes such as opening on one or more evenings and extending the hours of opening on busier days.”
Cllr Davis said: “The old system did work very well and having the booking system does seem to over-complicate things, especially for those who aren’t online.”
Kent County Council was unable to comment further when approached by the Gazette.