Swindon Borough Council said it was keeping the booking arrangement for the household waste recycling centre in Cheney Manor, in response to an announcement by Wiltshire Council that it was dropping the system.

This means residents looking to get rid of recyclable household waste won’t be able to just turn up to the centre but will have to pre-book one of the hundreds of available booking slots on a weekly basis.

But what would Swindon residents prefer? Would they have liked SBC to follow Wiltshire Council’s lead and scrap the booking system or are they happy that despite Covid-19 restrictions lifting, that the booking system remains.

Here’s what they had to say on Facebook...

John Marshall: “Brilliant move. The last few times I have been (with appointment) I have been in and out before my actual time. In the pre-booking days you never knew whether it would take five minutes or an hour.”

Kaye Mortimer Ryan: It’s very tricky for those who do not have the facility to book online. They lose their independence having to ask others to book for them. My mother is one such person (I’m sure she’s not the only one.)

Elizabeth Hunt: “It’s a nightmare for people with ADHD or executive functioning issues who struggle to plan ahead and maintain a diary. There needs to be some disability waivers to support these occasions. Also, for people with small homes and no outdoor space who unexpectedly generate rubbish they can’t get rid of. A few book-on-the-day slots reserved, or one hour of first come, first served at the end of the day would be useful.”

Nathan Shilton: “One hundred per cent a better option, it’s a much calmer experience with the booking system. You just need a little bit of organisation and planning when in need of a tip run.”

David Papworth: “The system works well, although the actual booking system sometimes fails to work. Some evening slots would be good as it’s a pain if you’re working. Also a rolling five-week period would be good, at the moment the booking site shows three out of five weeks in the past, pointless!”

Trevor Head: “I think it’s a great idea but for those people who work nine to five, booking a slot during the week can be tricky. So needs to be more slots available at the weekend and open for longer hours.”

Neil Hunt: “It’s such a great system, planning ahead is all it takes. You know you can be in and out within minutes. None of this queueing for 30 minutes upwards. Congratulations Swindon Borough Council, for once you’ve mastered something. Please don’t change it.

Dennis Humm: “Please keep it. It works so well and it’s great not to be in lone queues. I have seen complaints that you are only allowed 2 visits a month. I don’t know why people would need more than 2 visits a month? Keep the booking system, it makes so much more sense. “

Donna Baldwin: “Nope. Think it’s ridiculous having to wait three or four weeks to get a slot when in the past you could just turn up. Plus you could use the online cameras to see if there are queues before going. Put it back to how it was!

Trish Guest: “Works really well – much better than the old way. Yes, you have to book ahead, but the service is much more efficient for us all. Frees up your time that used to be lost queuing and breathing in car fumes and other noxious gases. Now it’s book, go, drop off the stuff, and leave – in minutes. Well done SBC!

Michal Wojsznarowicz: “Folks will moan whatever they decide. Last time it was a bunch of complaining that the system was removed. The never ending queues, hours of waiting etc. Now they decided to keep it, the other bunch goes on about no slots available, ones don’t like to plan ahead or sudden amount of rubbish generation. Can’t win whichever way they go.”

Alex Luckes: “Anything to reduce demand for the “recycling” Centre will reduce the cost of running the place, which will be good for Swindon Borough Council.”

Brian J Harrington: “Yes, worked well and with the recycling being collected every four weeks for a period of time it would be chaos otherwise.”