The controversial booking system for Crowborough’s household waste and recycling site is to be reviewed following a vote by councillors.
East Sussex County Council has agreed 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 online and telephone booking system was introduced to reduce queues and to stop residents from outside East Sussex using the sites free. But it followed a consultation in which a very large majority of people opposed the plans. ESCC pressed ahead nonetheless.
In Crowborough the decision met with an angry reaction from residents who said the county council had ignored people’s views, and said a booking system was not needed.
Now, following the local election and a change in the political landscape in the county, ESCC has agreed to review the booking system.
Cllr Kathryn Field had called on the council’s cabinet to scrap the booking system but instead cllrs agreed to review how it is working.
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. 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.
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.