Van booking system goes digital
Birmingham residents will now be able to access the city’s network of Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) with large trailers and vans by booking visits online.
The move follows the success of the online booking system for cars which was introduced in June 2020.
Slots can be booked between two to seven days in advance of a planned visit and residents will receive an email to confirm that their application has been successful. Slots are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
A maximum height restriction of 2.1 metres remains in place at all sites across the city except at the Tyseley HRC. Residents can also expect to select the type of waste they intend to bring to the sites when completing the booking form.
There are no restrictions on the number of visits that can be made using a trailer or van to the HRCs but a fair use policy applies.
Mark Powell, General Manager at Veolia, the UK’s leading resource management company, which operates the sites said: “We are delighted to enhance the existing online booking system to now offer residents the ability to book vans and large trailers online. They are also reminded to bring proof of residency as access will be denied to the site without this.
“Residents can check the site rules before visiting the HRCs. Social distancing measures are still in place to help prevent the spread of infection for their safety as well as our teams.”
Cllr John O’Shea, Cabinet Member for Street Scene and Parks at Birmingham City Council, said: “The online booking system has proven both popular and very effective in managing demand at our network of Household Recycling Centres to ensure their safe operation during the pandemic.
“We will continue to work with our partners at Veolia to look at how we can further improve the service we provide at the HRCs in future.”
To find out more about the changes to the van booking system, please visit the Veolia Birmingham website.
Notes to the editor
Please note: Van users bringing in trade or commercial waste need to continue using the van booking centre to book slots to visit the HRCs and will continue to pay a fee of £78. Bookings for these visits can be made by calling the Van Booking Centre on 0203 567 3915 (Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm).
Cllr O’Shea said: “This latest development means that residents with vans can now use the system rather than having to make bookings over the phone – which is a much easier way of planning a visit.”
