We have to ‘click before we tip’ now.

Ours went like this in Covid and never stopped. It’s a right PITA. I loaded my car up once single handedly and rocked up, but I’d got the day wrong and my booking was for the next day 🙁
the guy turned me away even though it was empty in there! I needed the car in between with the kids so had to unload and reload everything again.
similarly a friend turned up on foot with one thing, and they wouldn’t let her in because she hadn’t booked.

Whilst I agree with you @2dogsandabudgie I bet there are a group of people that would flytip no matter what - throw stuff in the neighbouring field because that's easier than driving it to the tip etc - I suspect there is also a group of people who would grudgingly have done the right thing and taken stuff to the tip and now won't because it's too much hassle. As I say even companies are now flytipping everywhere which is terrible - we need better enforcement to prevent it, and better ability to get rid of unwanted waste in the most responsible ways. Governments/councils should be trying to encourage the right behaviour, not encouraging the wrong behaviour. For example the fact that it might cost you £250 to get a train somewhere versus £50 in fuel to drive, most people would choose to drive as it is cheaper and more convenient. That's madness when we are trying to encourage use of public transport.

Like many, we have had to book tip slots since Covid. Each slot is for 30 minutes and I don't mind it at all - if I leave home at the start of the slot, I'm there about 10 minutes before my slot closes and it is always easy to park and unload. Last Wednesday I went online at 12.50 and booked for 13.00 - 13.30. Weekends are busier but prevents queuing.

I’d hate this.

We can just turn up at our local tip whenever we want. Theoretically you can only use the tip if you live in the county, but I’ve never seen the staff ask anyone for proof.

Our tip is rarely very busy though, I’ve been at all sorts of different times, and the only times there’s ever much of a wait is when the staff have temporarily closed things off to squish the waste in the skips with their digger or similar.

I guess booking would make more sense for busier areas?

I didn't like the idea of it but it's been a few years now and it is 100% better.
They did peviously require payment for certain sorts of waste but got rid of the charge becuse it led to fly tipping.
I'm generally very happy with it.

Our local authority has also had this in place since Covid, with bookings restricted to five per household per week. The queue used to back up off the slip road and onto the dual carriageway on bank holidays.

We've had booking since COVID. It's brilliant - the flow through is so much better, no queues into the road and you can always get a space to park your car. What's more, the staff aren't rushed off their feet and as a result they are able to advise if you are unclear on where something goes, and will also help with awkward items.

I agree, I hate having to book everything now. It's so boring and as you say takes the spontaneity out of life. So many things that you used to be able to visit and spend as long as you wanted at now require you to book and get 1hr or two hour time slot etc.

That's what happens here, mid week they let people in who haven't booked.

Don’t do it where I am in NW …just turn up….as many visits per year as you want

Ours have something rather different. You don't need to book a visit but you do have to get a permit for your vehicle beforehand and provide your address to show that you live in the city.

Our council require that you get a free "e-permit" which is valid for three years for cars and one year for vans. You can then turn up as often as you like, whenever you like in a car. With a van, you can also visit 12 times a year.

At first I thought it was just a waste of time, but it does mean that only people who actually live in the city can use the tip.

Booking an appt for our local tip works really well. There were always huge queues before the system was introduced.

People fly tip because they are dirty scummy selfish bastards with no respect for other people or wildlife. There is no excuse whatsoever.

Never heard of tips doing this, nor where my Dad lives in next county. But also we never have to queue either, even at weekends so I suppose there just isn't a need for it thank goodness! Agree with you OP, hate how much has to booked online since COVID.

I’m in Wales and ours stopped the booking nonsense a couple of years ago as people complained so much.
You now have to show proof of address as people were coming from other counties but aside from that you can turn up whenever and there are no limits on the amount of visits. It works pretty well.

We don’t have this and there are never queues at ours. I can’t imagine queueing an hour to use a tip! That’s it, I’m never moving.

It's not the end of the world. I recently had to do seven tip runs in one weekend at a click before you tip site (clearing parent's house, I don't live in the same local authority). None of it was a problem. I booked each time in my mum's name (used my email address to get the confirmation number) and had a bit of post addressed to her. Each run was super easy and inside the site was much easier, without billions of people messing around trying to get in.

Ours has been doing this since Covid. I prefer it as our tip used to get so busy that you could be queuing for ages. It's so much quicker now.

You'll get in easily then. When I go on a weekday, I log in and can book for ten minutes time. Which is as long as it takes me to drive there.

Ours has been like this for a while. IIRC it started during Covid.

Doesn’t happen in my town. You just turn up. If there is a queue you join it or go back home/shopping and come back later.

Not in Taunton either. We turn up when we want and go to the Reuse shop while we're there

There are no same day slots on weekends for ours, sometimes even a week ahead. I've reported more fly tipping this year. (The stats say it's up 6%.)

The grumpy man sitting in the booth at the entrance is the cherry on top.

Dreading this being introduced where I am. I love a spontaneous tip run.

Ours intro's this in Lockdown and they are slowly stopping it. It is a good way for super busy sites not to get gridlocked, often you can book up to 30m before at the one near us still doing it but also if you turn up they are not turning us away whereas in lockdown they did. I think as long as there are some on the day slots its fine