EXCLUSIVE

THURROCK Council has rethought its strategy and come up with a new 'Trailer Thursday' plan at the Linford Household Waste and Recycling Centre.

The original 'Trailer Thursday' plan was for residents with permits to use a trailer only in a time window limited to a three and three quarter hours, from 8a, to 11.45am. For the rest of the week, trailers were barred at the tip on Buckingham Hill Road.

While 'Trailer Thursday' was in place – no-one else was allowed to use the tip!

The scheme was launched on Thursday, 7 January amid a degree of criticism from residents, many of who were unaware of the changes due a lack of publicity and only found out when they were turned away or saw the Nub News report.

Trailer owners were particularly shocked to learn that having gone to the trouble of getting a permit, they could only use the tip for such a short time.

The scheme lasted just one week. The following Thursday the tip was closed as it was flooded and last week the council announced it has scrapped the scheme and 'for the moment' all trailers were banned.

Now today (Wednesday, 27 January) the council has announced 'Trailer Thursday' is back – starting tomorrow and with an extra four hours for trailer users to visit.

The tip will be open for trailers from 8am to 3.45pm on Thursdays – but during that time other tip users can also visit the tip. The council concede this may lead to congestion.

Trailers will not be allowed at the tip at any other time – so the complaints of trailer owners who work in the week and wanted to take their rubbish at weekend or evenings have gone unheeded.

A statement to Thurrock Nub News this afternoon says: "The council temporarily paused 'Trailer Thursdays' as part of a review of the trial and its effectiveness.

"Following this review, we have now reinstated Trailer Thursdays from this week, with trailers now being welcomed on site during the extended hours of 8am and 3.45pm on Thursdays. This will help to ease the flow of traffic at HWRC whilst supporting our staff to best manage social distancing for the safety of our residents.

"To avoid residents being turned away, cars and vans will now be permitted access during these hours in addition to those with trailers. As trailers take up more room, there may be more congestion than normal at HWRC on a Thursday so residents without trailers should try to visit outside of this time where possible."

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