Booking system to stay at Portsmouth tip
It was introduced at the start of the pandemic
The retention of the Portsmouth tip booking system introduced at the start of the pandemic is set to be made permanent next week.
Portsmouth City Council cabinet member for environment Dave Ashmore will be asked to approve the move next week, in line with a similar already taken by Hampshire County Council for its facilities.
"The booking system has demonstrated that managing customer throughput is an effective means of enabling the tips to operate more efficiently," a report published ahead of his decision-making meeting on Wednesday says.
"Congestion has historically been commonplace at Portsmouth tip on busy weekends throughout the year and public holidays, which created delays on the local road network and increased vehicle emissions from idling cars queuing. Booking a slot enables residents to plan with confidence that they can deposit their waste swiftly and easily."
The system at the facility in Port Solent was brought in in July 2020 to allow social distancing measures to be implemented and a Hampshire-wide survey found 78 per cent of people supported it being kept long-term.
The report adds that it also benefits tip staff by allowing them to plan the removal of waste from the site ‘with confidence’ and that it would also allow Covid-19 control measures to be reintroduced if needed.
The report recommends Cllr Ashmore approves the system remains ‘indefinitely’.