Residents using Spalding Tip on West Marsh Road are expected to face a new booking requirement from November, as Lincolnshire’s recycling centres prepare for a system intended to reduce queues, improve safety and tackle suspected misuse.
The booking system will apply at Spalding Tip and other county recycling centres. People will be able to make a booking on the day, while alternative arrangements are planned for residents who cannot access digital services.
What the council says will change
Coun Danny Brookes, Lincolnshire County Council’s executive member for the environment, is due to give an update at the full council meeting on Friday, September 18. His report says officers are developing the implementation programme, with the system expected to go live in November.
The stated aims are to reduce congestion at busy sites, improve safety, prevent use by non-residents and commercial operators, and support better recycling performance. The change comes after a substantial rise in the amount of waste handled by the county’s recycling centres in recent years.
The centres receive more than 1.2 million visits each year. They also deal with 66,700 tonnes of waste, described in the report as 50 per cent more than in 2021.
Concerns about fly-tipping
Some residents have raised concerns that requiring bookings could encourage more fly-tipping. Councillor Brookes said the council understood that concern but disputed the suggestion that booking systems automatically lead to an increase in illegal dumping.
“This is a concern that I fully understand and one that we will continue to monitor closely.”
He said evidence from other local authorities using comparable systems did not show that introducing bookings resulted in more fly-tipping. Lincolnshire’s own data will be monitored after the system is introduced, with action promised if evidence of a harmful effect emerges.
The report’s approach means residents will need to check how the booking process works before visiting Spalding Tip once the November launch takes place. The source material does not give a precise launch date, explain whether bookings will be required for every type of visit, or set out the alternative arrangements for people without digital access.
The council update is intended to address practical problems at Spalding’s West Marsh Road site and other recycling centres across Lincolnshire, where rising visitor numbers and waste volumes have contributed to pressure on the facilities.