Residents will soon need to book to visit Richmond's Townmead Recycling Centre, the council announced.

A new online booking system is now live and taking reservations for a slot at the recycling centre from Monday, July 20.

The council hopes the scheme will cut waiting times. It will soon be taking bookings up to two weeks in advance.

Visitors arriving after July 20 without a booking will be turned away and not allowed entry.

Benefits of booking ahead

Since the centre reopened when lockdown measures were eased, there has been a significant number of visitors.

Due to the reduced capacity available on site, as a result of social distancing measures, queue times have sometimes reached two hours.

Since opening, Richmond Council has been informing residents of the queue lengths via hourly Twitter and website updates, so people can check before they travel.

The council said the new online system will reduce the queues and will improve health and safety controls on site to keep residents and staff safe.

'We expect demand to be very high initially'

Chair of the council's Environment and Sustainability Committee, Cllr Julia Neden-Watts, said: "We have tried hard since Townmead reopened to keep the queue lines moving, and while we have seen queues, they have been well managed. I'm pleased to hear that most residents have been good humoured and understanding whilst they wait.

"We have had to implement several social distancing measures and restrictions on each site, which has meant that we can have fewer vehicles at the centre at once.

"However, to alleviate queues in the long term, this new online booking system will enable people to book a slot at the recycling centre up to two weeks in advance.

"This should also save residents time, as they can book a slot, turn up, dispose of their waste and then carry on with their day.

"We expect demand to be very high initially, but new slots are added each day, so if you can't get a slot, please try again the next day."

Residents looking to visit Townmead Road Recycling Centre have been advised to consider the following.

- Entries are only allowed through pre-booked visits – you will not be allowed entry if you do not have a booking.

- Do regularly check on our social media platforms for up to date information and booking release dates.

Book a slot now on the West London Waste website.