MORE than 1,100 cars were turned away from the re3 recycling centres in its first week of changes to visitor access.

Waste will now only be accepted from council tax payers in Bracknell Forest, Wokingham and Reading at the two sites - the Smallmead Recycling Centre in Island Road, Reading and Longshot Lane in Bracknell.

Visitor permits and ID checking was introduced at the start of the month following West Berkshire Council’s withdrawal of an annual £500,000 contribution that allowed their residents to use the re3 recycling centres to dispose of their household waste.

Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham councils then made the decision to restrict access to the recycling centres to re3 area residents only.

A total of 10,847 visits were recorded in the first seven days since the change came into place at the Reading recycling centre, of which 900 vehicles were turned away. 

During the previous week, 11,584 visitors were registered at the Reading site - compared to the 9,947 allowed on site this week, this is a decrease of 14 per cent. 

Reading recycling centre visit numbers are also down 778 on the same period last year.

In Bracknell, 272 vehicles were refused entry out of 12,343 visits.

Recycling permits were sent out to more than 180,000 across the three towns last month.

Bracknell Forest’s executive member for environment and chairman of the joint waste disposal board, Cllr Mrs Dorothy Hayes MBE, said: " Our message is clear; in order to continue providing an equitable and cost effective service, we can now only accept household waste from re3 area residents.

"To prove that you are a re3 area resident, please use your windscreen permit or bring valid ID in the form of a photocard driving licence and proof of address like a council tax bill when visiting our recycling centres.”

Wokingham Borough Council’s Executive Member for Environment Cllr Angus Ross said: “The re3 team has been working incredibly hard to bring in this critical change at very short notice.

"Once these and the September changes – small charges for non-household waste and the new commercial vehicle permit scheme – have had a chance to embed, we may be able to review the situation and investigate a charging system for non-re3 area residents that would allow them to use our facilities."

Opening hours remain 8am to 8pm between April and September.