The trial will require visitors to reserve a slot via the Council website before heading to the Chelson Meadow and Weston Mill recycling centres. Teams will monitor the system for six months to assess its impact on customer experience, congestion, traffic flow, and appropriate waste disposal.
Similar booking systems are already in use across the UK, with other local authorities reporting benefits such as reduced queues, better traffic management, enhanced site safety, and improved identification of misuse.
“"We know how popular our HWRCs are with residents and so want them to be able to run as efficiently as possible."
“"This is a trial and that's important to stress. We want to gather local evidence about how a booking system might work in Plymouth before any decisions are made about the future of the service."
“"I know that some residents may worry that this will lead to an increase in fly-tipping. But we're by no means the first to do this, so we know from other areas that there is no evidence to suggest that this might be the case."
“"At the end of the six months we'll evaluate all of that evidence before considering what happens next."
Further details on how the booking system will operate will be released before the trial launches, expected in early next year.
