Booking system set to be trialled at five West Sussex tips
There have been concerns about congestion during the pandemic
Plans have been announced for a new booking system at five household waste recycling sites across West Sussex.
The proposed trial would cover the sites at Bognor, Crawley, Horsham, Littlehampton and Shoreham from the middle of next month.
West Sussex County Council has announced the move amid concerns that coronavirus restrictions have led to large queues building up on roads heading to the county's tips.
With social distancing rules placing limits on the number of visitors allowed in at any one time, many sites have seen congestion at certain times.
Police have even advised the closure of some at times for road safety reasons.
Under the system, residents would be able to go online or call to select a specific time slot to visit the sites which will reduce waiting times and prevent queues on nearby roads and inconvenience to neighbouring residents and businesses.
The County Council said it hoped to have the changes in place in time for the annual 'spring surge', when demand to use the sites picks up.
Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council's Cabinet Member for Environment, said:
“A booking system would allow us to provide a fair and equal service to all residents and also help reduce pressure on HWRSs as lockdown restrictions are lifted.
"Similar booking systems have been implemented in other areas, such as Hampshire, and have successfully improved the experience of using HWRSs for residents, as well as helping to manage the demand on the system.
“It should also have a positive impact on those living or operating businesses close to a Household Waste Recycling Site.
"Traffic would be more evenly spread across the day rather than peaking at certain times. Reduced queues would also help to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles visiting the sites and mean a smoother and quicker visiting experience for residents.
“Traffic from the sites can impact on local roads and residents, as well as having a detrimental impact on air quality due to vehicles queuing with engines running. The trial is designed to see how well the system works to reduce these."
At the moment, residents are asked to only visit the sites for essential reasons, where they are unable to safely store recycling or waste at home.
Residents have been encouraged to make full use of their kerbside collections, run by the District and Borough Councils, some of which also allow for small electrical items and textiles to be collected with your regular collections, but the use of HWRSs has continued at almost the same levels as before lockdown.
The proposal will be scrutinised by the council's Environment and Communities Scrutiny Committee on March 3rd.