A big change to improve access to Derby’s only tip by removing its booking system on Sundays is set to cost the city council more than expected. And a new report into the changes made also states there is evidence to say there is an “extreme” level of misuse by visitors.
In April, the need to pre-book visits to the Raynesway Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) on Sundays was removed by the Labour-led Derby City Council.
It was hoped the change, a manifesto commitment by the council’s administration, would help those who don’t have access and would help reduce fly-tipping issues across the city.
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Since the free sessions started, the site has typically received 700 to 800 visitors each Sunday. This is around double the number of visitors to when booking on Sundays was required – which remains the case between Monday and Saturday. The site strictly cannot be used for traders or businesses to dispose of waste.
It is currently unclear whether or not the site will remain free from the booking system on Sundays. Derby City Council said it is looking into the situation and feedback amid budget proposals for the forthcoming financial year.
When the changes came into force it was agreed there would be a six-month review to explore how it was going and being received by the public. A report has now been published and will be discussed at a cabinet meeting next week.
But the report states that the changes made are likely to cost the council more than first planned. It was anticipated the Sunday change would cost the council around £141,000 a year – but this is now expected to be around £200,000.
Costs include managing the additional waste sent to the recycling centre (as there are more visitors) and staffing. The council says it has had to lay extra staff on to manage the busier Sundays.
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The report states: “Costs at the HWRC vary monthly based on changing tonnage profiles and commodity markets. Data available for April to September 2024 (the busiest months), shows the total costs of the free Sunday sessions are an additional £18k per month.
“These costs are expected to reduce over winter as visitor numbers reduce (except for the festive period), giving an estimated full year cost of around £200k for the free sessions. This is greater than was forecast (£141k).”
But the report also states that having a booking system in place is better for managing and controlling the visitors and the waste brought in. The council says there is an “extreme” level of misuse taking place.
Evidence via Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) data shows 96 vehicles have visited site more than 12 times in the 26 weeks since April, and the top visitor has been to site 44 times. Rules state that a household can book a visit to the tip twelve times a year.
There were also concerns from Conservative councillors that opening up the site would increase traffic levels in the area. However, the council says traffic issues have not been much of a problem on Sundays.
The report added: “Queuing and traffic problems haven’t materialised to the extent expected. Only twice did queues make it back to the main road. Steps to mitigates against this recurring included an external security team responsible for monitoring and managing queueing traffic, as well as social media messages to encourage customers to sort waste before visiting, avoid peak times, expect some queues etc.”
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