Security drafted in as drivers queue for hours at reopened local tips

SECURITY guards were drafted in at tips across Dorset and Hampshire yesterday (Monday) to deal with huge queues which greeted staff when they reopened doors for the first time since the lockdown.

At Christchurch’s Wilverley Road centre cars started lining up at 7am even though it did not open until 9am.

The queue stretched back to the main road and security guards were marshalling the traffic to ensure people were taking their turn in an orderly fashion.

But customers trying to visit nearby businesses were forced to drive on the wrong side of the road to reach them.

A worker at a nearby car workshop said: “It has been complete madness. There were people here at the crack of dawn and it’s been busy all day. People are waiting hours.

“I don’t know why they didn’t wait and come another day; everyone knew it was going to be busy on the first day.”

The security guards had been contracted by Dorset Council to ensure the re-opening went smoothly.

One said: “I think the problem is that the Prime Minister has said people can go back to work on Wednesday, so people are trying to get their rubbish out of the way before doing that.

“On the whole, people have been very understanding and are just waiting their turn.”

The tip was allowing 12 cars in at a time and workers were under strict instructions not to help people.

Similar queues were reported at tips all over the Hampshire and Dorset area.

At Marchwood local parish councillor Richard Young was horrified by the behaviour of some using the dump there.

Posting a photo of the line of traffic he took at 9am, an hour before the 10am opening, he said signage had been put in place telling people not to queue on the roundabout but people were ignoring it.

He said: “They are needlessly placing other road users at risk. I have previously contacted both Hampshire County Council and Hampshire police about the likely consequence for local road safety given the large volume of HGV using this route in close proximity to queuing traffic, but on this occasion I would very much like to be proved wrong with my concerns.

“So, for what my advice is worth, please continue to store your waste at home where possible and only visit Marchwood HWRC if absolutely essential.”

Locals reported the town was “now gridlocked thanks to the queue” with one blaming the council for “bad management” for creating it.

They said: “Should have organised the whole process much better. My solution would have been to get everyone to apply online for a time slot. This way the whole process would be much safer for all parties.”

At Pennington tip, residents waited three hours to get in, with cars restricted to three at a time.

HCC had warned that tips in the area would be very busy when they reopened.

Councillor Rob Humby said: “Visiting an HWRC will be very different than it was before the coronavirus outbreak. “I would ask people to please be patient and considerate of others who live nearby and take the time to reconsider whether their journey is essential.”

HCC has said the use of the sites is for “essential disposal of waste whereby storing such waste causes a risk of injury, or to health.”