Commercial vehicle and waste restrictions

The following controls apply to all Dorset's household recycling centres:

Why?

Dorset County Council introduced the restrictions in January 2003 and have reviewed and amended them in 2009. The focus of the restrictions was and still is to tackle the very serious problem of trade abuse at the household recycling centres (HRCs) by traders, typically but not exclusively builders and landscape gardeners.

Traders are not permitted to deposit waste from a commercial activity at the HRCs as the sites are not licensed to accept it.

The only effective control to halt this practice was to restrict vans and large trailers that traders mostly use to transport their waste. It is accepted that there are householders who use vans to take genuine household waste to the sites and this is why we have provided the residential exemption permit system and commercial vehicle voucher scheme to run alongside the restrictions.

Frequently asked questions

What do the restrictions involve?

Commercial type vehicle access is restricted depending on ownership and usage. For the purpose of our restrictions policy, vans are defined as vehicles which have a rear load carrying capacity instead of rear seats and panels to the rear instead of windows. Please refer to our Vans and load carrying vehicles section for a full explanation

Large trailers (more than 1.2 metres wide and 1.8 metres long) are banned from making deliveries to the sites

A limit of six bags (or the equivalent of what could fit into a standard family saloon car boot) of rubble or hardcore type waste per month. It is restricted on the basis that waste arising from the construction or demolition of a property is classified in law as industrial waste and it is therefore technically not acceptable at an HRC (even though it has come from a domestic property). The HRCs are only licensed to accept household waste

Cement bonded asbestos is only allowed at the four sites that are licensed to accept it. The waste has to be double bagged and the amount is limited to a one off deposit of up to three sheets of six foot x four foot. It is restricted on the same basis as per the rubble / hardcore restriction

Vehicles exempt from the need to apply

Caravanettes
Camper vans
4X4s
Mini buses
Cars
Estate cars
People carriers
Dual cab pickups

This is because the purpose and design of the vehicle is to carry people or for leisure pursuits rather than to carry bulky goods.

Parking outside and walking waste in

If residents drive to a facility to deposit their household waste, they should use that vehicle, to access the site and deposit the waste. If they have no access to the use of a vehicle and have walked from home with the household waste, the site staff will allow access but advise against entry to the site on safety and traffic obstruction grounds as the sites have no dedicated pedestrian access.