Portsmouth and Hampshire tips to reopen - opening hours, dates and new rules

Portsmouth and Hampshire councils are reopening the network of household waste recycling centres across the county.

Visits are strictly for people who cannot store waste safely at home. Guards with body-worn cameras will monitor queues.

A county council statement said: ‘There will be staff at the entrance to each site, wearing a body camera, to manage the flow of vehicles.

‘Security staff will be deployed at all sites and there will be a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse.’

City council leader, Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson, said he is expecting a large number of people arriving at Port Solent’s tip from Monday at 10am when it reopens.

Drivers whose vehicles have a licence plate that ends with an odd number can only access Port Solent's tip on an odd-numbered date. People with vehicles that end with an even number can only access it on an even-numbered date. This runs between May 11 and 24.

Cllr Vernon-Jackson told The News: ‘We’re expecting very big queues because everybody has been clearing their loft out.’

READ MORE: Parking permit holders in Portsmouth set to receive discountOpening hours and rules

All centres are open 10am-4pm, with limits on access. Only one person per household can go to a centre. Vans can only take the equivalent of a saloon car’s boot full of rubbish.

Cllr Vernon-Jackson added: ‘It’s got to be done in a way that’s social distancing, so instead of 18 cars that can normally park there we can only have four.

‘It’s going to mean the guys working there won’t be able to help get stuff out of the cars.’

Hampshire is opening 24 tips after a closure in March. Previously the authority said government’s lockdown meant it could not open the sites.

Deputy council leader Rob Humby said: ‘Now we have clarity from the government, we will be opening the (centres) for those households where it is not possible to keep their waste at home during this time without causing a health risk.’

He added: ‘Visiting (a centre) will be very different than it was before the coronavirus outbreak - as all sites will be operating with safe social distancing measures in place.

‘This means that less people and vehicles will be allowed on site at any one time, similar to what residents are now used to at supermarkets, which will inevitably cause delays in entering and potential traffic queues.

‘So, I would ask people to please be patient and considerate of others who live nearby and take the time to reconsider whether their journey is essential.’

Hampshire County Council's rules on tips

:: Use of sites is only for essential disposal of waste whereby storing such waste causes a risk of injury or to health.

:: As per government guidelines, residents in the specified vulnerable category (those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, people over 70 and pregnant women) are strongly advised not to visit a site.

:: Restricted numbers of vehicles will be permitted to access the site at any one time and site staff will enforce this at the site entrance.

:: There will be staff at the entrance to each site, wearing a body camera, to manage the flow of vehicles. Security staff will be deployed at all sites and there will be a zero-tolerance approach to any form of abuse.

:: New temporary barriers will be in place at the entrance to each site and used to mark out new parking arrangements with site staff guiding vehicles, from a safe distance, into spaces

:: As far as possible, only one person per household should visit the HWRC.

:: Due to social distancing measures, site staff will be unable to provide any assistance with unloading material or carrying material. Residents are asked to bring only the amount of waste they can comfortably carry and empty into containers.

:: Trailers are not permitted. Enforcement of social distancing on site means severely reduced capacity for manoeuvring trailers. Vans should be bringing no more waste than that which would fit in an average saloon car boot

:: Everyone must always keep at least a two-metre distance from others at all times.

:: Sites will accept all waste material streams, except for chargeable waste – soil, rubble, asbestos and plasterboard. However, some processors have shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and it is likely that some materials outlets may not be available in the short term. Please check the website before your visit to check if any specific material is not able to be accepted temporarily.

:: Reuse sales areas will remain closed. Where possible, please continue to store items of furniture which could be reused, donate to local furniture charities, or use online platforms (e.g. Freegle/Facebay/Gumtree). Please see the Smart Living website for more information on furniture reuse.

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