A CONTROVERSIAL booking system for East Sussex’s household waste and recycling sites is to be reviewed following a unanimous vote by councillors.
East Sussex County Council agreed on Tuesday (July 14) to carry out a scrutiny review of the appointment system at its 10 Household Waste Recycling Sites, which has been in place since November last year.
The motion, brought forward by Councillor Kathryn Field and seconded by Eastbourne Borough Council leader Stephen Holt, originally called on the county council’s cabinet to consider discontinuing the booking system, with councillors raising concerns about accessibility, fly-tipping and the impact on residents unable to access the service.
Speaking during the debate, Cllr Field said: “The issue is not with the way the service is working for users; it is the people it is excluding from the service, who don’t use it.”
Calling for a fresh look at the scheme, she added: “On balance I think it is time we review this completely and, having reviewed it, revert to the system that worked so well before we had the booking.”
Cllr Field also told the chamber that, during her 34 years as a councillor, she had never received complaints about the county’s recycling centres until the booking system was introduced.
Several councillors shared similar concerns.
Councillor Carolyn Lambert described her own recent experience at Newhaven Household Waste Recycling Site, where she said it took around 45 minutes to enter despite having booked a slot. She said a member of staff told her around 200 vehicles had been turned away because drivers had not made an appointment.
She said: “Let’s be brave enough to say it’s not working and go back to the original system.”
Councillor Wendy Maples, who supported reviewing the scheme rather than scrapping it outright, said the system appeared to be working well for many residents, with positive feedback describing it as easy to use and efficient.
However, she said improvements were needed, particularly for those unable to book online.
She criticised the lack of a weekend telephone booking service, saying residents who cannot access the internet should still be able to make appointments. She also highlighted that around one in five residents do not have access to a car and called for alternative arrangements to help those people dispose of household waste.
Councillor Shing echoed concerns raised by colleagues, saying that during his 25 years as a councillor he had never received complaints about the recycling centres until the booking system was introduced.
He also described his own difficulties trying to use the system, saying the online booking process repeatedly failed before he telephoned the booking line only to receive an automated message stating it was closed for the weekend.
A number of councillors linked the booking system to increased fly-tipping.
Councillor Becca Horn said figures from Hastings showed reported fly-tipping incidents had risen significantly and argued the council needed to ‘remove the barriers’ preventing residents from disposing of their waste responsibly.
She also said East Sussex County Council needed to work more closely with district, borough and parish councils, which she claimed had been picking up the pieces since the scheme was introduced.
Councillors Jack Morrell and Sarah Osborne also reported increases in fly-tipping within their wards, while Councillor Kelvin Williams warned the impact was being felt on private land, including farmland.
He said: “We’re pushing the problem on to private individuals.”
Despite the criticism, several councillors defended elements of the booking system.
Councillor Stephen Potts said a review was the right approach but noted the scheme had generated savings of almost £580,000, meaning any future decision would need to carefully balance the financial implications.
He said the council needed to have some ‘very important conversations’ over the coming months because it represented a large amount of money.
Councillor Colin Belsey also backed the current arrangements, saying he was surprised Cllr Holt had supported the motion.
He told councillors the system works ‘really, really well’ at Eastbourne’s recycling centre and said he had used it many times without any problems.
Cllr Belsey added that residents living in nearby St Philip’s Avenue would be unlikely to welcome a return to the previous system because they would once again face long queues of traffic outside their homes.
Council officers told members the booking system had reduced the amount of waste processed at the county’s recycling sites by more than expected. If the reduction continues for a full year, they estimate the council could save around £579,683.
The original motion was amended to refer the issue to the council’s Place Scrutiny Committee for a detailed review before any decision is made on the future of the scheme.
The amendment received cross-party support and was accepted by Cllr Field before being approved unanimously by the council.
