Recycling centre pre-booking petition triggers debate

The booking system for recycling centres in Shropshire was introduced in October

A petition to scrap a booking system for tip visits has got more than 1,000 signatures - triggering a council debate.

Shropshire Council brought in pre-bookable hourly slots in October in an attempt to reduce congestion at its recycling centres.

The councillor responsible for climate change, environment and transport, Ian Nellins, said it would give tip staff more opportunity to help visitors sort their waste correctly.

But opponents, including Liberal Democrat councillor Alex Wagner said the new system "makes life harder for ordinary Salopians".

He described the system as a "sledgehammer to crack a nut" and said it added a "layer of bureaucracy to operate it" which was costing taxpayers money.

He also said there had been "reports of increased fly-tipping" since the system was introduced.

In October, Mr Nellins said the new booking system would help the authority save money, as people often travelled from Staffordshire, Wales, Wolverhampton and Cheshire to use Shropshire's recycling centres.

"We will save a lot of money by being able to police that, by people when they come to household recycling centres being checked [for] a booking," he said.

Because the Lib Dem-backed petition has passed 1,000 signatures the issue can be scheduled for a council debate in February.

"This is a clear indicator that the public are not on board with the changes, and frankly can't see the point," Mr Wagner said.