We have to ‘click before we tip’ now.

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Anyone else’s council introduced this?

We can’t just turn up at the tip now, all has to be booked in. I hate that absolutely nothing in spontaneous anymore. It’s ridiculous.

How long before they’ll add a fee?!

Same here since Covid. Last time the clipboard guy gave me a really hard time as I was 1.5 hours late. There was one other person there.
I told him how terribly sorry I was for putting him out 😤

I’m with you. I see the logic of having a booking system, but hate having to book and plan everything in advance.

Taking the kids to the local swimming pool is another one.

Ours does this which is a flipping nightmare as you can only go once a week and we are on leave for a week tp clear our house out. How the heck are we supposed to clear a house out without being able to get rid of anything? It's already super strict on what you can chuck there (fair enough, I support recycling) so adding these restrictions as well feels unmanageable. This is why people flytip! Not that I would ever do that. But there is no way of getting rid of things - theoretically you could get a commercial company to do it, but so many of them are just flytipping the waste that that doesn't feel reliable either!

We’ve had booking for ages, and it was brought in for some very solid reasons:
It prevents builders etc taking the piss and dumping commercial rubbish.
It prevents the ridiculous bun fight that was queuing for an hour plus and clogging up the approaching road.
It prevents people from just over the county border taking the piss and using a dump they’re not paying for.

We’ve had this since Covid. It’s annoying having to book but good that you know there’s space and without a massive queue

I much prefer it, no queuing so you're in and out. I've never struggled to get a slot on a weekend.

Ours brought it in a couple of years ago, and banned anyone coming in on foot, "to increase recycling rates". You have to book at least an hour in advance, list all the categories of things you're planning to recycle, and provide photo ID and proof of address when you arrive.

Been doing it for years!

Only at one local tip you have to book. It is the only one that takes wood, furniture, fridges and freezers so you wouldn't be going there weekly. It's easy to book and the waiting time not long but when I went a few weeks ago there was no "check in" unless you call a man who waved you in the check in person.

I agree. We're meant to book our local swimming pool. It seemed to work fine without that system, pre-covid. Puts me off going, I don't want to navigate the app or plan my swim a week in advance.

Do you need to book a week in advance? Surely if it’s not fully booked you can book the day before or on the day?

How ridiculous. I wonder how much money it costs to implement and run the booking system.

You may not have to book in.

But they will almost certainly be taking your reg number by ANPR and cameras.

Our council doesn't have this, thank goodness! And to all the naysayers out there - never had to queue either!

We are being subjected to more and more control, I hate it. This may be a more convenient system at very busy refuse centres, but it’s yet another thing we can’t do spontaneously and I bet it won’t be long before there’s a charge to go.

I thought I'd hate it but in fact I now appreciate not having to crawl along in queue for half an hour.

I live in Wales (South) and we don't have to book slots here, just rock up as and when :)

It's often booked (particularly the lane swims) but then often people cancel shortly beforehand. You seem to need to book either a week in advance or half an hour in advance. I think people who are members block-book them if they might want to go, then decide on the day.

Not in South Somerset. No booking or restrictions here, just turn up. Not even during covid.

Ours has been like it maybe 3 years. They did during covid. Then stopped then re introduced.
They said uts because now you can tip things like ceramic basins free of charge and rubble etc but so much per year. Before it was £3 a rubble bag to tip

Our tip started doing it during Covid and has continued with that system. It's actually much better now. You just choose a slot (it's never hard to get one) & turn up at your scheduled time.
The road leading to the tip used to get a horrendous, and dangerous, traffic build up due to cars queuing to get into the tip. Since the the booking system was introduced that has all stopped, there's always space to park at the tip and there's no waiting. It's a much quicker and easier experience all round now.

I like it. It is far more managed so you don't queue forever just to get in the gate.

We've had to book since Covid. I prefer it. Means you don't turn up and have to queue for ages.

Ours has just introduced it too, perhaps we’re in the same area. It wasnt broke so why try and ‘fix’ it. We never had hour long quietest at even the busiest times!

My Mum’s unlucky then! I don’t object to the system but it really disadvantages her, as I have to book before she can go. Mind she can barely get things out of the back of her car- at least now the workers are more relaxed about helping her. In Covid times they couldn’t.