Z4-forum.com

Took some rubbish to my nearest local authority recycling centre today. Only to find it closed. They have changed their opening times since I last went. Now closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week plus, of course, the usual bank holidays. What’s more all Lincolnshire’s centres are closed for the same two days every week. When they are open. The hours are quite limited, 9am to 4pm. At the gate there are additional hand written signs telling people not to enter the site after 3.15pm.
Regularly, there are items on the local Look North TV News about rubbish being dumped and the cost of clearing it up which runs into many thousands of pounds per annum.
Is it me or would it not make more sense to open the recycling centre more often to encourage people to use them. I know how fed up I was having to make a 16 mile round trip today for nothing.
There will always be some rogues but I’m sure easier access would mean more people conformed.
What’s it like in your area? )

You have to show a council tax letter with your address on to use the tip
Other than that ok and quite helpful staff

My local centre is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Staff are very helpful.

BeeEmm wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 7:25 pm My local centre is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Staff are very helpful.

That’s how it should be. I wish it was like that here.

Ours is Lincolnshire CC aswell.
Bloody awful place run by jumped-up skip rats, with a wholly inappropriate air of superiority and authority. They are only remotely helpful if you happen to be a 20-something, attractive lone female.
I avoid going to the tip if I possibly can, as I find it too stressful. Luckily for me they are hardly ever open, so it's easy to avoid.
Thursday, Friday, Sat and Sun 9 to 4. No extended hours in the Summer. And they often shut the gates at lunchtime, so not to be disturbed. They shouldn't do that, but they do.

Where I grew up, our local tip (and it was a proper tip) was open from sunrise to sunset 364 days a year. Often used to go at 9pm on a Summer's evening. Happy days....

IRD wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 5:58 pm Is it me or would it not make more sense to open the recycling centre more often to encourage people to use them.

I think it is the Council, in their warped sense of logic and reality, that think if they keep them closed the amount of rubbish they have to deal with will be less. As if by magic the amount of rubbish generated will be reduced by restricting the opening times of the tip.

Maybe they can't get the qualified staff needed to operate the tip sites for longer! They must have to go through rigorous training for 10-15 seconds to do the job.

We have a newly built recycling centre which is great.

You book a visit online and get a QR code to show at the gate and the staff could not be more helpful, even if you turn up outside your allocated 20 min slot.

Very rare that you can't book a slot within an hour of wanting one.

Funny you mention this. We got a new set of draws for the bedroom last week which mentt I had to dispose of the old 1. Now my van is not registered as it’s a pain in the ar#e to deal with so I set about dismantling the old draws back into flat pack and took the circular saw to the large bits so I could get it all in the boot of the Z4 . Challenge accepted and 1 trip to the tip, after checking online which days it was open (closed Tuesday and Wednesday)

Nanu wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 8:42 pm We have a newly built recycling centre which is great.

You book a visit online and get a QR code to show at the gate and the staff could not be more helpful, even if you turn up outside your allocated 20 min slot.

Very rare that you can't book a slot within an hour of wanting one.

Exactly the same here. Works well.

Like Andy says these guys who make the decisions seem to have this misconception that by reducing the time the centres open will reduce the amount of rubbish. Yet they are regularly in the media banging on about people needing to recycle rubbish int he correct places. If they aren’t open. That is difficult. What worries me is these are the folk who make all the decisions on how our council tax is spent. No wonder council spending is in such a mess. For a relatively short while I worked for the County Council. After eighteen months and after sending in monthly progress reports the guy who was my boss and to whom I had been sending them informed that he didn’t know I was working for them. So you get the picture.

IRD wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 5:58 pm Regularly, there are items on the local Look North TV News about rubbish being dumped and the cost of clearing it up which runs into many thousands of pounds per annum.
Is it me or would it not make more sense to open the recycling centre more often to encourage people to use them.

I'm sure you are right about limited opening hours, and often restrictive access, causing more fly tipping Ian.

When my Mum was in a residential home in 2020 we had to clear her flat to sell it in May and tips weren't open. Luckily they had some 1,100 litre wheelie bins, but we took away with bags of stuff waiting for charity shops to reopen!

Even when my local tip did reopen I had to book a visit and produce a Council Tax Bill and ID, which they did check.

Thankfully now I've moved I've got access to 1,100 litre Wheelie bins again so haven't needed to go to the tip.

Mr Tidy wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 9:28 pm

IRD wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 5:58 pm Regularly, there are items on the local Look North TV News about rubbish being dumped and the cost of clearing it up which runs into many thousands of pounds per annum.
Is it me or would it not make more sense to open the recycling centre more often to encourage people to use them.

I'm sure you are right about limited opening hours, and often restrictive access, causing more fly tipping Ian.

When my Mum was in a residential home in 2020 we had to clear her flat to sell it in May and tips weren't open. Luckily they had some 1,100 litre wheelie bins, but we took away with bags of stuff waiting for charity shops to reopen!

Even when my local tip did reopen I had to book a visit and produce a Council Tax Bill and ID, which they did check.

Thankfully now I've moved I've got access to 1,100 litre Wheelie bins again so haven't needed to go to the tip.

It makes a good subject to have a rant about though doesn’t it?

IRD wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 9:35 pm It makes a good subject to have a rant about though doesn’t it?

Sure does.

IRD wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 9:35 pm It makes a good subject to have a rant about though doesn’t it?

Can we do pop-up temporary roadworks next and their utter wastage of public money...can we.....please??
Council tips are rank amateurs compared to Highways/utility companies when it comes to lack of efficiency and wasting public money.

Pondrew wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 10:19 pm

IRD wrote: ↑Thu Jan 25, 2024 9:35 pm It makes a good subject to have a rant about though doesn’t it?

Can we do pop-up temporary roadworks next and their utter wastage of public money...can we.....please??
Council tips are rank amateurs compared to Highways/utility companies when it comes to lack of efficiency and wasting public money.

Let’s wait until tomorrow. I’ve had enough ranting for today. What do you think .