“It's going to be a significant inconvenience” Councillor criticises Central Bedfordshire Council’s new tip booking system

The new system is in place to ensure that only Central Bedfordshire residents use the facilities, reduce queues and “boost recycling efforts, with staff available to help customers reuse and recycle more”.

The council says it will make it “quicker, easier and fairer” for residents.

But Heath and Reach councillor Mark Versallion said that people were already being asked to prove that they lived in the council’s area to use the tips, and “if it’s not broken, why are you trying to fix it?”

In a social media post he wrote: “The online form is EIGHT PAGES long and you have to sign in or register to be able to fill it in. It wasn’t quick and easy as the advert says.”

He told his followers that he tested the booking phone number and after being on hold for over four minutes, he requested a callback. But he said six hours later he was still waiting.

According to the council’s website, bookings can be made up to two weeks before a visit and are free.

But Cllr Versallion claimed that those who are not online may struggle to access the services.

He added: “If you put yourself in the shoes of others who are not online – whether it's their age, they're not comfortable, they simply don't have a smartphone – then it is going to be a significant inconvenience for them. “

These concerns were echoed by others on social media, with one saying: “Why has life got so hard? What about the older generations who can't go online?”

Cllr Tracey Wye, executive member for sustainability and climate resilience at Central Bedfordshire Council, defended the new way to book.

She said: “The booking system is in place to make our household waste recycling centres quicker, easier, and fairer for residents. It helps reduce queues, ensures sites are used by Central Bedfordshire residents only, and supports better recycling with staff on hand to help.”

A petition has been set up to eliminate the system, with over 770 signatures already.

The length of the slots has also been a talking point, with the councillor questioning why 20 minutes was decided.

He said: “I think that the 20-minute appointment booking slots just seems far too long. There will be people where it does take 20 minutes, but for the vast majority of people, including me, it's always a relatively quick five-minute job.”

Another concerned person added: “The old system seemed to be working fine, yet this new booking step has made things unnecessarily complicated. You have a 20-minute window. Would most people need that time? I doubt it, yet a small minority might need more time.”

But not everyone has had the same experience. One person said: “I used it yesterday lunchtime – went online at 12.50pm and booked a 1.20pm slot. I loaded the car quicker than expected and arrived at 1.16pm with no queues or any issues. Showed the poor guy at the entrance my booking reference, went in, emptied, came home – simple really.

“Things are only difficult if you want to make them so.”

Cllr Wye encouraged people to use the new tool, saying: “The online booking system is easy and quick. There have already been more than 2000 bookings made within the first 24 hours.

“We understand not everyone can book online, which is why residents who cannot get online can call 0300 300 8000 for assistance. The booking process is designed to be simple; our customer testing showed it was completed in less than three minutes.”

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