Jeremy Harris Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 The issue seems to be that the system has flagged me as a commercial user, rather than just a resident, so unless I register, and pay to use the facilities as a commercial user, I cannot gain access. The fact that this was done in error seems to be something their system cannot cope with. Once a car registration number is recorded as being for a commercial user there is no way to remove it from their database, apparently. TBH, now we've moved house it doesn't matter, as it's just as easy to use the nearest Dorset recycling centre (actually slightly easier, as it's easier to access). If Dorset start imposing restrictions then I may summon the energy to try and do battle with Wiltshire again, but for now we don't have much need to get rid of stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 Some carefully placed black tape on your number plate might help. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrerahill Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 50 minutes ago, JSHarris said: Turning up at the tip triggers automatic eviction via the ANPR system, unless I was to go there in someone else's car. What has happened when I've tried it is that I get intercepted as I drive in and asked to drive out immediately. There's no one at the recycling centres that has any authority to do anything about it, they are apologetic, but say they have to do what the system tells them. It is completely mad, and I've reported it (several times) to the council, made a fuss about it at a public event and had words with my local councillor about it. It seems that the council are powerless to intervene in actions taken by their contractor. I have a set of number plates you can have... Velcro on? All joking aside, I would alter my number plate by a digit using black electrical tape just before I drove in - as soon as I leave I would remove it so I am not on public highways with an illegal plate. In all seriousness it is not a crime so I would be being inventive - if it came to pass then you could start a fight with the right muppets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamiehamy Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 I was refused entry to my local tip because it was closing in 15mins. (its only open 10 - 4). In this case I k my had two stinking bags. I blocked the gate, walked in to dump them. The guy came at me as if to stop me. I looked at him in the eye and td him if he laid a finger on me he would get a formal complaint and more. He backed off and I dropped my two bags. That sort of behaviour I don't like but in this case it was ridiculous. Stopping me dumping two bags? Utter power trip. The other experience I get regularly is when I take the wee camper van. They tell me vans are not allowed. I tell them it's not a van. They say it is. I say it's not, it has windows, kitchen and bed. Then they point out 'No vans'. Then I tell them it's not a van it's a motor home. Then they look baffled. It's one of the most bizarre things ever, visiting a tip. And of course where I live, we have a serious issue with Fly Tipping... Wonder why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 (edited) On 21/07/2019 at 22:33, Weebles said: The High Wycombe tip Used to be called High Heavens, because of the smell I guess. Many a Saturday afternoon spent traipsing up there and watching the seagulls, about as far in land as they get. Shall being a few more up in next trip to see family. Down here, the local tips are staffed by pig ignorant tossers, except Helston. So that is where my rubbish goes. Having said that I always get a 'Deliverance ' moment when I go there and hear Duelling Banjos for the rest of the day. Edited July 23, 2019 by SteamyTea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrerahill Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 18 minutes ago, jamiehamy said: I was refused entry to my local tip because it was closing in 15mins. (its only open 10 - 4). In this case I k my had two stinking bags. I blocked the gate, walked in to dump them. The guy came at me as if to stop me. I looked at him in the eye and td him if he laid a finger on me he would get a formal complaint and more. He backed off and I dropped my two bags. That sort of behaviour I don't like but in this case it was ridiculous. Stopping me dumping two bags? Utter power trip. The other experience I get regularly is when I take the wee camper van. They tell me vans are not allowed. I tell them it's not a van. They say it is. I say it's not, it has windows, kitchen and bed. Then they point out 'No vans'. Then I tell them it's not a van it's a motor home. Then they look baffled. It's one of the most bizarre things ever, visiting a tip. And of course where I live, we have a serious issue with Fly Tipping... Wonder why. This is the sort of thing I would do. I went to the tip once in my Defender - I had a single arm-chair in the back - I went to the normal gate but knew I would not fit under the height restriction bar - I got out and told them I had a chair to bring in and that my vehicle didn't fit. They told me I could not come in then. I said can't I just come in via the truck entrance (right next to the main public entrance) and he said no. I said I was being discriminated against because I had a tall vehicle and said no wonder you guys have to go about picking up shit from the streets if this is your attitude. I went back and got the chair, and dragged it into the site, he came and said I could not do that. I said "well I am doing it" I dragged it to the general waste tip and left if there and walked back out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 The thing that annoys me is that pretty much all this hassle started not long after they privatised refuse and recycling. Certainly the council people at the local centre were a bit surly at times, but I never once encountered this petty use of crazy rules. I suspect that it has something to do with the way that the recycling contractors get paid that makes them behave like this. Maybe the commercial use fees go to them, so they have a vested interest in trying to maximise the number of people forced to pay to use the facility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrerahill Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 (edited) 7 minutes ago, JSHarris said: The thing that annoys me is that pretty much all this hassle started not long after they privatised refuse and recycling. Certainly the council people at the local centre were a bit surly at times, but I never once encountered this petty use of crazy rules. I suspect that it has something to do with the way that the recycling contractors get paid that makes them behave like this. Maybe the commercial use fees go to them, so they have a vested interest in trying to maximise the number of people forced to pay to use the facility. Could be. A gardening company who used to come around our area had a "tip car" - it was a Peugeot 306 with the passenger and rear seats stripped out, no carpets or anything - it was a skip on wheels. They would literally throw stuff into this little car then go to the tip in it, no one questions a little hatch going to the tip. He used to do garage demo's and take asbestos sheets to the free asbestos drop our tip has. My attitude was, good on him, at least he had a reasonable plan unlike some people who chuck it down a country lane. I'd rather pay a few quid more in tax for the council to deal with people sneaking commercial waste into the tip than see it tipped on roads and laybys. Edited July 23, 2019 by Carrerahill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 When I was commuting from our old house to here every week day, I drove past a lay by (really the entrance to a bye way) that was regularly used for large-scale fly tipping (as in a tipper truck load). The council would usually arrange to clear it within a few days, as a local riding school used to use the bye way. I would hazard a guess that it costs a great deal more to collect fly-tipped rubbish than it does to allow free access to the recycling centres, but maybe cleaning up roads comes out of a different budget, so no one can be bothered to correlate the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 (edited) My experience of Bristol was good (avonmouth) but a family member went to one near the centre and his van had been converted to a camper, windows and seats etc but the tax disc still said “van” (or whatever) and he was refused entry. Down here in Devon they are a bit pedantic, on my way to the tip I saw a tyre in a hedge and being a Good Samaritan I picked it up to take with me, I was told I would have to pay £2.50 to tip it and when I explained I was picking up fly tipped stuff they did not care, so I took it away and told them I would put it back in the hedge and ring the council to send a truck and staff to collect it . Go figure. ANPR is easy to get round with black tape. Edited July 23, 2019 by joe90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiking Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 2 hours ago, JSHarris said: The issue seems to be that the system has flagged me as a commercial user, rather than just a resident, so unless I register, and pay to use the facilities as a commercial user, I cannot gain access. The fact that this was done in error seems to be something their system cannot cope with. Once a car registration number is recorded as being for a commercial user there is no way to remove it from their database, apparently. TBH, now we've moved house it doesn't matter, as it's just as easy to use the nearest Dorset recycling centre (actually slightly easier, as it's easier to access). If Dorset start imposing restrictions then I may summon the energy to try and do battle with Wiltshire again, but for now we don't have much need to get rid of stuff. Should it come to that, the simplest, least stressful and probably cheapest solution to this in the long run is just to change your car number plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 27 minutes ago, daiking said: Should it come to that, the simplest, least stressful and probably cheapest solution to this in the long run is just to change your car number plate. Or put the original plates on (temporarlly) as @JSHarris has a private plate!!! (When I got my private plate I kept the originals in the boot “in case” ?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 This is a symptom of just about all councils being short of money and trying to find any way they can to save it. Whether it really saves them money is another matter. In the case where someone goes to the next county to dispose of it yes they have saves some, but if it ends up fly tipped I doubt it. I was speaking to a lady up here who works for the council and her job is to go round on bin day looking for over filled wheelie bins. If the wheelie bin is full to the point the lid will not close completely on it's own, she slaps a l;abel on it and the bin men will leave it. Quite how that solves the problem beats me as it will then be 2 weeks before the next bin day and the householder has to get rid of the excess AND their next 2 weeks rubbish by next bin day before it will be emptied. Also I was warned of one estate in a local town that as is the case in loads of places there is not enough parking. Most people park on the street, but there are no parking restrictions, no yellow lines. There are many places where people park that allow enough space for a car to pass. But if you park there on bin day and the bin lorry cannot fit, you will get a fine slapped on your car. I just avoid doing jobs there on bin day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 Where we lived in Belgium the recycling centre was in two parts for recyclables and non-recyclable. They had a weighbridge on the entrance and exit of the non-recyclable side to calculate your bill. However you could walk between the two sections. So drop the wife off at the entrance to the recycling centre with a bag. You drive into the non-recyclable side getting weighed on the way in. Off load and pick up the wife. If you aren't careful you can weight more on the way out than on the way in :-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 5 hours ago, JSHarris said: The thing that annoys me is that pretty much all this hassle started not long after they privatised refuse and recycling. Certainly the council people at the local centre were a bit surly at times, but I never once encountered this petty use of crazy rules. I suspect that it has something to do with the way that the recycling contractors get paid that makes them behave like this. Maybe the commercial use fees go to them, so they have a vested interest in trying to maximise the number of people forced to pay to use the facility. 100% agree. They have the exact same attitude problem in Bristol for approx. 1-1.5 years now. Exactly when they changed from council run to privately run recycling centres. Before, it was nice and easy to drop in occasionally with a van or a trailer, just had to speak to the boss on site and have a good explanation and it was good. Now they are kicking off because of absolutely everything. Even start asking question if they recognise your face (with regular car) because you turn up 2days in a row with garden waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epsilonGreedy Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 This seems like the right thread to ask a question which has bugged me for a few years. Why is plasterboard considered to be such a toxic material in skips or recycling centers? I would rank old liquid paints much higher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 4 minutes ago, epsilonGreedy said: This seems like the right thread to ask a question which has bugged me for a few years. Why is plasterboard considered to be such a toxic material in skips or recycling centers? I would rank old liquid paints much higher. Because gypsum (which is what plasterboard is, mostly) is a problem if it ends up in landfill. When buried in landfill with organic waste gypsum (calcium sulphate) releases a lot of hydrogen sulphide, which, as well as being toxic, is also very smelly (it's the "rotten eggs" gas). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 Reading up about gardening and clay soil (which we have loads of) I read gypsum can be added to clay soil to make it better?, I have a couple of bags of plaster left over ?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 10 minutes ago, joe90 said: Reading up about gardening and clay soil (which we have loads of) I read gypsum can be added to clay soil to make it better?, I have a couple of bags of plaster left over ?. Try it in a small area and see what happens. Should be safe, as we can smell a very low concentration of H2S, way below the harmful level, so if there's no smell then it's fine. H2S oxidises fairly readily, too, so it won't hang around in the air for very long. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epsilonGreedy Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 2 hours ago, JSHarris said: Because gypsum (which is what plasterboard is, mostly) is a problem if it ends up in landfill. When buried in landfill with organic waste gypsum (calcium sulphate) releases a lot of hydrogen sulphide, which, as well as being toxic, is also very smelly (it's the "rotten eggs" gas). I thought gypsum was an old fashion term for a special manufactured cement sandwiched between cardboard sheets to create a composite, but I think you are saying it is different chemical compound to OPC. Anyhow my curiosity is satisfied, previously I had assumed the special disposal regs were something to do with the dangers of inhalation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted July 27, 2019 Share Posted July 27, 2019 2 minutes ago, epsilonGreedy said: I thought gypsum was an old fashion term for a special manufactured cement sandwiched between cardboard sheets to create a composite, but I think you are saying it is different chemical compound to OPC. Anyhow my curiosity is satisfied, previously I had assumed the special disposal regs were something to do with the dangers of inhalation. Plasterboard is just a layer of ordinary plaster (gypsum) sandwiched between two sheets of thick paper. It's used mainly because it's very cheap, probably the cheapest sheet material available in that thickness, plus it has reasonably good properties for walls and ceilings, mainly good dimensional stability over time, and with changes in temperature and humidity. Cement is a different material; primarily calcium oxide and silica, with very little sulphate, maybe 2 or 3%. It's the high sulphate composition of plasterboard (around 98% or more) that creates the problem when it reacts with organic waste. The reason that recycling centres want gypsum segregated from other waste is because it can be recycled fairly readily, if kept reasonably clean, and this solves the H2S problem caused by putting it in mixed landfill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 On 23/07/2019 at 13:17, Carrerahill said: I went back and got the chair, and dragged it into the site, he came and said I could not do that. I said "well I am doing it" I dragged it to the general waste tip and left if there and walked back out. There was a long line of cars to get into my local tip. I drove past them, parked up in the layby, got my single black bag of household waste and walked into the tip. Was told in no uncertain terms that I was not allowed in. I was 5 feet from the container. When I mentioned this over at the other place, our old mate DamonHD said he had a similar problem, as he had no car. He organised, with the council, a 'pedestrian day'. A day that normal Londoners, who don't own cars, can take stuff to the tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 49 minutes ago, SteamyTea said: [...] Was told in no uncertain terms that I was not allowed in. [...] What grounds did they give for preventing you enter? And, if their answer was reasonable - under their T+Cs - isn't the answer: jump in your car, wait a bit, and drop your stuff in the container? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 (edited) 31 minutes ago, AnonymousBosch said: What grounds did they give for preventing you enter? Health and Safety. I interpreted that as hen pecked with small genitalia, but kept that to myself. While you are here, how did you manage to block me from: https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/10651-are-plasterers-the-worst/?do=findComment&comment=179803 by quoting me. And I still can't login from my phone. Did use the Contact Us link, but seems there was no one at home that day. Edited July 28, 2019 by SteamyTea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triassic Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 On 21/07/2019 at 19:27, Pete said: The layout at the Cumbrian recycle centre is absolutely awful and you seem to have to go round twice to visit the various areas. I offloaded the car of P/B and then needed to go round again to go up the ramp (one car width so once on it you have to wait till the car in front has finished and then you all move on till you get to the end of the line) Sounds like the Grange Over Sands tip. Only open three days a week and conveniently hidden up a narrow track between two houses and not sign posted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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