OPPOSITION members on Hampshire County Council want changes to the way the county recycling centre are working.

The county council has tweaked the Covid restrictions but declined to remove them entirely.

Last week Winchester MP Steve Brine called for restrictions to be lifted on the centres including those in Bar End and Alresford.

As reported, he has written to the Leader of Hampshire County Council to ask that all remaining restrictions be removed at waste recycling centres across the county. Keeping them is limiting the use and encouraging fly-tipping, he says.

Today, the Liberal Democrats said they had conducted a survey and say residents want to keep the booking system – but want it freed up.

The party is calling for looser restrictions on the booking system at the county’s Household Waste Recycling Centres – and, in smaller rural tips, to scrap it altogether.

More than 3,700 people responded to a Liberal Democrat survey across Hampshire asking for their views. Some 1,797 (48.7 per cent) supported the booking system – 31.0 per cent strongly supporting it – and 1,083 (30.3 per cent) were opposed – 17.8 per cent strongly opposed – with 813 people neutral (22.0 per cent).

But the poll revealed support for some changes, including allowing visits more than once a week, same day booking and an increase in the number of slots. Only 23.4 per cent of people wanted to scrap the booking system altogether and only 15.5 per cent wanted to keep it unchanged.

Opinion varied strongly by tip – with residents supporting the booking system for most tips – with Fareham, Farnborough, Netley, Andover, Gosport and Hedge End showing particularly strong support for booking – and Alresford strongly opposed.

Cllr Martin Tod, Lib Dem spokesperson for economy, transport and environment at the county council said: "I was originally a booking system sceptic, but it’s clear that it’s got good support in most of the county, particularly where there has historically been a problem with queues.

"But people do want change – and the county needs to move fast on this. The Liberal Democrats want to see the weekly limit scrapped, same day booking and an increase in the number of slots. And where the booking system is causing more problems than it solves, like the Alresford tip for example, then it should be taken out."

Cllr Tod added: "The county can’t afford to be complacent. Looking at the county’s recycling as a whole, Hampshire has the lowest recycling rate of any county council area – and the county needs to show much stronger leadership in tackling this. Making sure unnecessary restrictions at the tips aren’t holding back recycling is an important first step."