Booking system to begin for recycling centres

Council chiefs said booking systems had worked in other areas of the country

Pre-booking will be required at Shropshire's five recycling centres from the start of November to reduce queues, council bosses said.

Shropshire Council said the booking system would also help prevent the use of the centres by businesses and non-Shropshire residents.

All five centres, in Craven Arms, Bridgnorth, Oswestry, Shrewsbury, and Whitchurch, will remain open seven days per week, despite earlier suggestions some may close to save money.

Residents will book slots online or via phone.

Ian Nellins, from Shropshire Council, said booking systems elsewhere in the country had had a positive impact.

"They have led to a significant increase in recycling, and helped to smooth demand throughout the day, reducing congestion and queuing and making the sites safer," he said.

"We’re confident that will be the case here in Shropshire too."

More details about the booking process will be released in the coming weeks, with the system to go live on 4 November.

The authority will use the system to monitor visitor numbers and patterns to inform a decision over the centres' opening times from April 2025.