People wanting to visit county council tips when they reopen on Monday can now book an appointment online.

And if they don't they face being turned away.

Leicestershire County Council has launched an online booking system so sites are not overwhelmed. Confirmation emails will have to be shown on arrival and those without an appointment will be refused entry.

The authority is asking people to only visit the seven sites that will be open - Barwell, Lount, Market Harborough, Melton, Mountsorrel, Oadby and Whetstone - if they cannot safely store the rubbish at home.

Councillor Trevor Pendleton, county council cabinet member for waste disposal, said: "I want to thank residents for their support around the measures which the council has taken to date, and would welcome their continued support to ensure the arrangements we are putting in place can operate successfully.

"We want our sites to work as efficiently as they can, while prioritising the health and safety of residents and our staff, so I would ask for patience during the first few days of operation.

"Please don’t visit our sites, unless waste is creating an issue at home that could cause injury or harm – and you will need a confirmed booking to be allowed on to the site."

A spokesperson for the authority said that the council is anticipating there will be a high level of demand for bookings and added that more slots will be made available over the coming weeks.

Social distancing will be in operation at the sites, and plans will also include traffic management arrangements. There will be parking restrictions in place around the immediate vicinity of the waste sites.

There will also be restrictions on the type of items people will be able to bring to county locations - so some waste types will still have to wait.

The type of waste that can be accepted includes:

  • Garden waste
  • Wood and chipboard
  • Non-recyclable household waste e.g. black bags or items that don’t fit in your wheelie bin
  • Hardcore and soil (charges apply – card payments only, taken contactless on site)
  • Plasterboard (charges apply – card payments only, taken contactless on site)
Stock picture recycling centre

Households will only be able to book one appointment per fortnight.

Vans and pick up trucks can only book appointments for Wednesday mornings, cars can book appointments to visit the site seven days a week.

Visit https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/waste-bookings to book a lot.