Starting 1 April 2026, the two household recycling centres in Telford have restricted access to borough residents only. The change at the Hortonwood 50 and Halesfield 1 sites is intended to reduce the financial burden on local taxpayers and ensure that services remain available for those who fund them through council tax. According to Telford & Wrekin Council, the sites have been seeing approximately 30,000 visits each year from people living outside the borough, which accounts for about one in every ten visits. By limiting usage to local residents, the council aims to manage capacity at the sites, particularly during busy periods.
Councillor Carolyn Healy, the cabinet member for neighbourhoods, planning and sustainability, indicated that this shift is a practical measure to protect frontline services. The council expects that reducing the costs associated with non-resident use will help maintain existing provisions, such as free garden waste collections.
To access the facilities, visitors may now be asked to show proof of address by Neighbourhood Support Officers stationed at the site entrances. Acceptable forms of identification include a driving licence, a utility bill, or a council tax bill. Digital copies of these documents shown on a mobile phone will also be accepted.
The council has confirmed that staff will only perform visual checks and will not record or store any personal data from visitors. The recycling centres are operated by Veolia and remain open from 9am to 5pm, seven days a week, with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. Both the Hortonwood 50 site and the Halesfield 1 site continue to serve as the primary locations for household waste disposal for residents living within the borough.
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