Household recycling centres permits FAQ

No.

Each household is only entitled to a maximum of 12 visits.

If you have items to dispose of you will have to make an arrangement with a private contractor to dispose of these.

The permit is free.

No.

Each household is only able to have one permit per year.

No.

You will only be allowed one vehicle per household. 

The permits do not expire.  

You can continue to use the same permit until all of your visits have been used up.

Yes.

You can visit the sites more than once in a day, but will be limited to 12 visits in a calendar year.

No. 

You will have to choose whether you have a permit for the van, or a permit for the trailer.

Given the continuing financial pressures faced by the council, we have had to look at making further changes at our household recycling centres (HRCs). The use of load-carrying vehicles such as vans and large trailers can increase queuing times as they can take longer to unload and occupy more space than a normal car. We also see that they tend to bring in larger volumes of waste, which the council needs to pay to dispose of.

The council has a statutory duty to provide sites for residents to dispose of their household waste free of charge, but these sites have also been subject to abuse from some businesses who have been using them until now for free waste disposal. All businesses should be managing their own waste and not using HRCs, which are not permitted to accept commercial waste.

The council does not expect a significant increase in fly tipping. We expect that most affected residents will sign up to receive a free van or large trailer permit.

We will continue to monitor the number and nature of fly tipping cases. 

The trailer should be measured between both ends of the trailer bed.  This does not include the tow bar.

Yes.

It has become increasingly common for local authorities to apply restrictions at HRCs, and many now only accept vans on to their sites under some form of permit scheme which restricts the number of visits they can make. This helps to preserve good access for residents, for which the sites are intended, and helps to minimise the amount of waste being taken to the sites that the council has no statutory duty to accept, for example commercial waste.  

The following vehicles need a permit:

• Vans
• Vehicles with permanently removed rear seats and/or blanked out rear or side windows
• Flatbed or pick-up type vehicles
• Vans converted into a horsebox
• Minibuses under 3.5 tonnes gross/laden weight
• Trailers between 1.8 and 3 metres long

• Cars
• 4x4s (excluding those which fall into the above categories)
• Small trailer (under 1.8 metres)

Due to limited space on sites, these vehicles are not permitted

• Any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes gross/laden weight
• Trailers over 3.0 metres in length
• Horse box trailers
• Vans, pick-ups or flatbed vehicles towing a trailer of any size

If you have a car which has been sign written you can take this to the household recycling centre without a permit, unless the car has had its seats permanently removed and is being used for load carrying purposes.

If you have sign written van then you will need to apply for a permit to visit the sites.

If the site staff believe that your waste is from a business they reserve the right to ask you about the origin of your waste and ask you to complete a trade waste disclaimer before your deposit your waste.

No.

Cars do not need a permit to access the sites unless they have had their rear seats permanently removed and the vehicle is used as a load carrying vehicle.

You do not need a permit to visit the sites in a camper van unless the seats have been permanently removed and the vehicle is used for commercial load carrying purposes. 

You must use the vehicle which is listed on your permit.

No, you do not require a permit. Examples of this type of vehicle may be the seats have been removed to allow for a wheelchair, or a ramp has been fitted. Please display your blue badge when on site.

The V5 serial number can be found in a circle on the top right hand corner of the front page of the document.

This is because they have been designed with cargo or load-carrying roles in mind and as such are typically capable of bringing larger amounts of waste to the Household Recycling Centres in one trip.

A vehicle that has been designed and registered for transporting a load will need a permit. If the vehicle has been designed and registered for transporting passengers it will not require a permit, unless classed as being a minibus.

Your vehicle will be classed as a van and require a permit if it has one or more of the following features:

• No windows on the rear side panels
• Permanently removed rear seats (with the exception of rear seats being permanently removed for disabled access)
• A separate load-carrying area pick-up bed at the back, designed specifically for cargo (with roof/"hardtop" or without)
• An area for the drivers and passengers which is separated from the tail end of the car vehicle

If there is any doubt, please consult line J (vehicle category) as printed in your V5 log book:

• If it says M1 it's a car and you will not require a permit.
• If it says N1 or M2 it's a van or minibus and you will require a permit.
• If it says N2, then the vehicle is over 3.5 tonnes and therefore not eligible to access the Household Recycling Centres.

Yes. If there is a permanent bulkhead or a partition separating the vehicle's seats from the load-carrying area, you will need a permit.

To apply for a van permit you will need:

• Your council tax reference number
• Your address and contact details
• The vehicle registration number
• V5 Registration document serial number
• The make, model and colour of your vehicle

To apply for a trailer permit you will need:

• Your council tax reference number
• Your address and contact details

There is an option for selecting an 'Other' vehicle on the drop down list.

Please select this option and manually type your vehicle details in when prompted. 

Only residents who pay their council tax to Wiltshire Council will be issued with a permit.

If you do not pay your council tax to Wiltshire Council you will not be able to see your address on the application form.

If your address falls within the Wiltshire Council area and you cannot see your address please contact us by emailing wasteandrecycling@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window) or calling 0300 456 0102.

Due to social distancing on site, you will not be issued with a paper permit. 

The earliest you can renew is three weeks prior to your annual renewal date.  

This date will be shown on your permit or can be calculated from the start date on your confirmation email.

If you live in Wiltshire but don't pay council tax directly to Wiltshire Council (for example, if you live in military accommodation or on a houseboat) you may still be eligible for a permit. 

Please email wasteandrecycling@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window) to inform us that you do not have a council tax reference number and provide:

• Your name and contact details,
• Your address, and
• Either the registration number of the van or pick-up, the V5 registration document serial number, the make, the model and colour of your vehicle
• or the size of the trailer if you are applying for a permit for a trailer.

Any domestic waste that has originated from your household can be bought to the household recycling centres.

The sites are not licensed to accept commercial waste.

For more information on how to manage your business waste, please our Commercial waste page.

No.

The sites are not licensed to accept any commercial waste.

Even if you run a small business or you work from home, your waste is still classified as commercial waste.

For more information, please see the council's leaflet on how to manage waste from your business. 

Yes

It is the site staffs' role to ensure that the waste which is brought to the sites is not commercial waste and they are asked to speak to residents about the waste they are bringing to the site and ask them to complete a trade waste disclaimer if they believe the waste may be commercial waste.  

The council's household recycling centres are provided for council tax payers.

If you are bringing a borrowed or hired van into the site you will be asked for your proof of Wiltshire address to ensure that you live in the area.

If you are unable to show your proof of address or if your address is not an address within the Wiltshire Council area you may be asked to leave the site. 

Yes.

It is part of the site staffs' role to implement and monitor the permit system on site.

If you do not have a valid permit, the site staff may ask you to leave the site.

In addition, the site staff have the right to ask anyone who abuses them, either verbally or physically, to leave the site.

Neither Wiltshire Council or Hills Waste Solutions will tolerate violent, aggressive, abusive or threatening behaviour towards site staff. 

If you change your address or vehicle please go to our website and  fill out your information changes (opens new window).

Due to social distancing on site, you will not be issued with a paper permit. 

If your permit gets damaged at any time you can order a replacement using the  online application form (opens new window)

Due to social distancing on site, you will not be issued with a replacement paper permit. 

If you lose your permit you can order a replacement using the  online application form (opens new window)

Due to social distancing on site, you will not be issued with a replacement paper permit. 

You are able to cancel your permit at any time by contacting the council.

If you are borrowing a van or large trailer from a friend who lives in Wiltshire then they will need to have a permit for this van and you will need to use their permit to visit the sites. 

If they do not have a permit for their van then they will need to apply for one using the  online application form (opens new window). 

In addition, please ensure that you are insured to drive the vehicle for this purpose. 

If you are borrowing a van or large trailer from a friend who does not live in Wiltshire then you will need to bring the following to the household recycling centre when you visit:

• A letter from the owner stating that they give you permission to use the van or trailer, the dates in which you are permitted to use the van and stating the purpose in which they are allowing you to use the site
• Proof of your Wiltshire address.
• Photo identification, such as a driving license, is preferable.

When you visit the site you will be asked to complete a short visit record form for monitoring purposes.

In addition, please ensure that you are insured to drive the vehicle for this purpose. 

If the owner of the vehicle you're borrowing is accompanying you to the site, please bring proof of your Wiltshire address and photo ID.

If you are borrowing a van or large trailer from your work then you will need to bring the following to the household recycling centre when you visit:

• A letter from the van owner (business) on headed paper stating that they give you permission to use the van, the dates in which you are permitted to use the van, and the purpose for which they are allowing you to use the van.
• Proof of your Wiltshire address (photo identification, such as a driving licence, is preferable.)
  If the van owner is NOT a Wiltshire resident and is coming to the household recycling centre with you, all materials for disposal must be yours.
• You will need proof of your Wiltshire address (photo identification, such as a driving licence, is preferable.)

When you visit the site you will be asked to complete a short visit record form for monitoring purposes.

In addition, ensure that you are insured to drive the vehicle for this purpose.

If your friend is happy for the vehicle's permit to be in your name then we can do this; however, only one permit will be issued per vehicle so please be certain that they do not wish to apply for one themselves. You will need to provide the vehicle's V5 serial number.

You can visit the sites in a hired van without a permit, however you will need to bring the following to the household recycling centre when you visit:

• Your hire agreement
• Proof of your Wiltshire address
• Photo identification, such as a driving license, is preferable

When you visit the site you will be asked to complete a short visit record form for monitoring purposes.

In addition, please ensure that you are insured to drive the vehicle for this purpose.