Portsmouth’s tip will stay free – but van drivers and trailer owners will have to register

RESIDENTS in Portsmouth will continue to have free use of the city's tip, despite Hampshire County Council bringing in charges for anyone outside of the county using their centres.
A cardboard and paper recycling bin at Waterlooville Household Waste Recycling CentreA cardboard and paper recycling bin at Waterlooville Household Waste Recycling Centre
A cardboard and paper recycling bin at Waterlooville Household Waste Recycling Centre

At an environment meeting this week councillors agreed that Portsmouth City Council would not impose a charge for residents to use the Port Solent Household Waste Recycling Centre, including those people using vans and trailers.

The decision came after Hampshire County Council approved a £5 charge for non-Hampshire residents to use any of the  county’s 24 tips, which will come into force in January next year.

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As part of this scheme Hampshire residents would need to register online for free to be able to access the tips.

It also ruled that vans and trailers from Hampshire would need a £15 permit to use the recycling centres.

But city councillors felt that making Portsmouth residents pay to use the city's tip was not necessary.

Portsmouth residents will not need to register to use the tip but those with trailers and vans will need to apply for a free permit.

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Speaking at the meeting Tory councillor Gemma New said: 'I gladly welcome the decision to keep this free within Portsmouth.

‘It also clears and keeps the space for our residents because people won't want to pay to use it. Hopefully it will keep outsiders away a bit more.'

Labour councillor George Fielding added: 'I think it's a good thing that we're keeping it free for Portsmouth residents and long may that continue.'

Cabinet member for environment, Cllr Dave Ashmore, said: 'I think that this is brilliant. It's a Hampshire County Council decision to charge for their ones, I think it makes sense we look after our residents and we keep our tip free for them.

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'They've had to deal with things like changes to rubbish collection in the past so this is something else where we're putting them first.

'I don't think we'll have a problem with non-Hampshire residents using our tip because I can't see people driving seven to eight miles just to save £5. I don't know what the price of petrol is but I'm sure it's more than that.'

Portsmouth residents using any of the Hampshire tips other than Port Solent will need to register with the county council online.