Household waste collection policy 2026

Containers must be available at the collection point (as per policy 11) by 6:30am on the day of collection. Collections times can vary from week to week and any container which is not out for collection at 6:30am will not be emptied. If the containers are not presented for collection, then the collection crew will not return until the next scheduled collection day.

On traffic sensitive priority routes, collections may start at 6:30am. This is to allow collections to take place with minimal disruption to traffic flow. If you live on one of these routes and we require you to place your containers out earlier than 6:30am, we will inform you in writing.

Containers must not be placed out for collection before 5:00pm the day before collection. The council has the right to remove any bins left on the highway outside of the hours specified in Policy 10. The council will charge for the provision of new containers.

Details of collection days can be found on our website.

All containers should be presented at the edge of a resident's property, at the point where the premises meets the adopted highway for collection. Containers must be clearly visible and safely accessible from the highway.

If properties are located down a private driveway/access road, then the containers must be presented where the private driveway/access road meets the adopted highway. This applies even when a household does not own the land between property and the adopted highway.

Bins may only be presented for emptying after 5pm the evening before collection and must be taken back into property boundary as soon as reasonably possible following waste collections.

Collection crews will collect containers from the bin store and return them to the bin store, except where an obstruction is preventing access either in or out of the bin store.

If a bin store is located an excessive distance from the highway and cannot be accessed directly by the waste vehicle, the site will be notified by the council that all communal bins need to be presented near the highway to be collected. In this scenario, the on-site management will need to present them for collection and return to the bin store. Once notification has been given on the requirement to present bins, the collection crews will not collect containers from the bin store and collections will be maintained as long as the bins are presented in the agreed location by 6:30am on collection day.

Where a household is on a private or un-adopted road, the council’s waste collection vehicles will only collect from the road where:

• the road is of a construction that would meet the standard for adoption by the Highways authority
• a satisfactory Road Risk Assessment has been concluded, and the council believes the road is of a suitable design to enable large 26 or 32 tonne waste collection vehicles to manoeuvre easily and turn where needed
• damage has not been caused to the private road previously
• the nature of the road is not such that it would take an unreasonable length of time to carry out collections relative to other collections from adopted highways within the county
• the council has been provided with a signed damage liability waiver
• it is safe to stop and park the collection vehicle to collect waste, without causing risk, hazard or obstruction to other road users or pedestrians
• by presenting waste for collection, the council is given implied consent to access the site and transit the roads therein. Where the roads are unadopted, it is the responsibility of the developer or landowner responsible for the road to ensure that it can be safely accessed by large waste collection vehicles

The council may change any collection point, either temporarily or permanently, following a review process. This review process may be instigated due to the council’s belief (but not limited to) that the access to or location of the presentation site would be unsafe for collections or does not meet the current council policy.

The council will give at least 21 days’ notice (in line with the Environmental Protection Act, 1990), in writing, of any changes to the location of a collection point, highlighting the alternative site to the householders affected. Each case will be looked at on an individual basis to agree a suitable collection point as near to the boundary as is safe and practicable.

Containers will be returned to the collection point as described in Policy 10 where possible or to another safe place within a reasonable distance of the collection point. Containers should be removed from the collection point by the householder as soon as possible after collection.

Containers must not be left on highways or cause obstruction on pavements as this contravenes the Highways Act 1980.

For communal collections, containers will be returned by collection crews or onsite management to their storage areas, except where an obstruction is preventing crews from accessing the bin store or obstructions within the bin store preventing bins being returned to the correct location.