Starting in early February 2026, visitors to the Tewin Road Recycling Centre in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, are being asked to show proof of address before they can use the site. Hertfordshire County Council has moved into a higher-intensity enforcement phase of its residents-only policy so the facility is prioritised for people who pay council tax to a Hertfordshire authority.
Visitors to the site are being asked to bring proof of address such as a driving licence, a Council Tax bill, a Hertfordshire bus pass or a recent utility bill to show to site staff at the entrance. The checks are intended to reduce “waste tourism” from neighbouring boroughs and North Essex; HCC has positioned staff near site entrances to verify documents as part of the enforcement rollout.
The change comes ahead of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Councils rollout of weekly food waste collections. Welwyn Hatfield’s website says food waste collections for some flats and maisonettes will begin from 30 March 2026. The stricter checks at the recycling centre form part of wider measures to protect capacity for local households as new collection systems are introduced. Some residents have said that, while producing paperwork can be a chore, the time spent inside the site has become shorter since the checks were introduced, though HCC and local social media have also reported queuing and “bottleneck” issues on Tewin Road at peak times.
The Tewin Road site opened in May 2023 to replace the Cole Green facility and includes a reuse shop where residents can pick up items diverted from waste. Hertfordshire County Council’s guidance also confirms small amounts of DIY waste are accepted for free at household recycling centres (for example, up to two 50-litre bags of rubble or one bulky item per visit under the DIY waste rules); the residency checks are intended to reduce the risk of commercial operators or non-residents using the household service.
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