New vehicle restrictions at Highland Council household waste recycling centres; Ross-shire to be affected by changes
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Highland Council will be introducing changes at household waste recycling centres from February.
These changes will be introduced in two phases with phase one focusing on vehicle restrictions which will start on February 3.
Phase two will place restrictions on the amount of construction and demolition waste permitted into the sites and will be implemented later in the year.
The measures are designed to help the council deliver savings in the region of £300,000 over two years.
Communities and place executive chief officer Carron McDiarmid said: “The council operates 21 household waste recycling centres throughout the Highlands, providing opportunities for householders to recycle a wide range of materials including cardboard, some plastics, textiles, garden waste, scrap metal, wood, glass and electrical appliances.
"However, in Highland we manage 22 per cent more waste per person than the Scottish average. In addition, the recycling centres have experienced a 50 per cent increase in waste in the past decade, costing up to £2.4 million in handling and treatment costs.”
She continued: “Restrictions already apply at household waste recycling centres regarding the disposal of commercial waste and the introduction of the new restrictions aims to maximise the availability of facilities to householders while preventing commercial misuse.”
From February 3, the following vehicles will not be permitted entry to household waste recycling centres with any waste:
- Trailers with more than one axle or greater than 2.4m (8ft) in length.
- Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tonnes or greater.
- Tippers and flat-bed trucks of any weight.
- Plant vehicles.
A council spokeswoman said alternative methods for managing household waste include using the local authority’s chargeable bulky uplift service. To coincide with the changes, the range of items available for collection has now been expanded to include bathroom and sanitary ware, kitchen cabinets, car tyres and/or rims, bicycles, window frames and doors (without glass), gates, lawnmowers and garden tools.
In Caithness, Sutherland, Wester Ross, Skye and Badenoch and Strathspey, the council operates transfer stations and/or landfill sites where householders and businesses can pay to deliver waste directly.
The spokeswoman added: "Fly tipping is currently monitored across the region and will continue to be assessed once the changes are introduced and any remedial action will be taken by the council’s compliance team."
