THURROCK Council has now issued details of changes it will enforce at the Household Waste and Recycling Centre on Buckingham Hill Road, Linfordn next month.

The changes, intended to stop commercial use of the site by traders or waste disposal companies, were first reported on Nub News in April when they were described as a 'fly-tippers' charter' by a local councillor - though the council has fallen short of implementing one of the measures it was considering, introducing an online booking system.

 initial plans to close the tip for two days a week have also been withdrawn. 

The issue was debated at full council in March and the list of potential changes was approved by a majority of Conservative councillors.

After the meeting the council's communications team responded to questions by saying: "In order to ensure the service provided at the HWRC complies with the requirements of the site licence, and as part of budget setting for the upcoming year, some changes are planned for the management of access for different vehicle types.

"No changes will be implemented until the summer and residents will be informed of changes once plans have been finalised and prior to their introduction."

It was expected that the subject would be discussed at cabinet, which is still Conservative after the party retained a two seat majority at the recent elections, but the changes have been introduced without more public

From Thursday, 1 June a ban applies if your vehicle weighs more than 3.5 tonnes or is either a:

• Ford Transit
• Luton van
• heavy goods vehicle (HGV)
• flatbed lorry
• tipper van
• minibus
• vehicle similar in size to any of the above

If you have any other kind of small van or a single-wheel axle trailer less than 1.8m (about 6ft), you must apply for a new permit allowing up to 6 visits each year if you wish to use the site after 31 May. Applications are now being accepted for the new permits.

Vehicles with trailers are only allowed to enter the site on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Vehicles without trailers are also allowed to enter on these days.

Hire vehicles will be allowed on site no more than twice a year per address. Hire vans no larger than a Ford Transit short wheelbase are allowed, but only with a valid permit and proof of hire.

There is a height barrier of 1.8 metres (6 feet) at the entrance, with a separate traffic lane for van users who have a permit.

The council says anyone visiting the tip and parking a van outside and trying to carry waste in will be refused entry and reported.

In addition limits are to be introduced on the amount of material that can be taken to the tip.

Residents will be allowed one car boot (or the equivalent of three wheelbarrow loads of soil, hardcore or gypsum-based products including plasterboard and dry wall linging), one wheelbarrow load of tiles or ceramics, three large ceramic items, eg toilet or washbasin, five car tyres per year and no more than 10 litres of engine or cooking oil per year.

In March Nub News was contacted by members of the council's environmental staff who are not on full time employment but are engaged on an agency basis have been told that their services will not be required further as and when current agreements run out.

That ties in with projected plans to cut down on general cleaning and services like drains clearing.

The council was asked to comment on the proposed staffing cuts but has not responded.

In April Cllr Fraser Massey said he is alarmed at the amount of rubbish continually dumped on rural roads and told Nub News: "It's difficult to see how these cuts are going to help stop more of this sort of thing happening. You could describe this as a charter for fly-tipping."