Vehicle Permit Scheme
Last updated: 03/05/2012
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Permits
Why introduce a permit scheme?
Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC’s) are provided by
Cornwall Council for householders to dispose of their waste safely
and conveniently.
Although these sites are designed for use by householders, some
traders use them to illegally dispose of their waste. These
disposal costs are funded by Cornish taxpayers. Unauthorised trade
use also leads to safety issues associated with larger vehicles and
adds to waiting times for other users.
However, some residents own commercial type vehicles or large
trailers and will want to use them to visit HWRC’s with their
household waste. A permitting scheme is the fairest way to ensure
that residents can use their own vehicles to visit the sites,
whilst deterring unlawful use by traders.
Do I need a permit?
Please see the Schedule below showing vehicles which
need permit. A permit will be required for commercial type vehicles
which are those designed to carry goods. Vehicles designed to carry
people, i.e. with both seats and windows, will not require a
permit
Any vehicle which requires a permit will not be allowed on site
with a trailer of any size.
Trailers whose internal dimensions have been adapted will
be measured according to their original internal length.
How do I renew my permit?
A permit allows a household a maximum of 12 individual visits to
a HWRC to dispose of household waste in the 12 month period from
the date of issue of the permit. You do not need to renew your
permit unless you have used all of your visits.
The earliest you can apply to renew your permit is 2 weeks
before your current permit expires. You can do this by completing
the online renewal form or by sending your
completed permit and a covering letter to Waste Management, Western
Group Centre, Radnor Road, Scorrier, TR16 5EH.
What is a commercial type vehicle, and what is trade
waste?
Commercial vehicles are those that are designed to carry goods,
not people. They have no rear seats and/or no rear windows, and/or
an open back, or a back which is separate to the main cab area.
Trade waste is defined as waste arising from any trade or
business, industrial or commercial activity. Traders often undercut
legitimate businesses by lowering charges for their work because
they do not pay to dispose of the waste legitimately. All traders
should adhere to a Duty of Care, which sets out their
responsibilities to dispose of waste, and they should also have a
current Waste Carriers Licence from the Environment Agency.
If you are a business and would like more information on dealing
with your waste, please follow the link to our Commercial and
Business Waste page.
How will the scheme work?
From the 1 February the permit allows a
household, when using a vehicle that requires a permit, a maximum
of 12 individual visits to a HWRC to dispose of household waste in
the 12 month period from date of issue of the permit. On the expiry
of the 12 month period or the completion of 12 visits, if this
occurs later, you must apply for a new permit. Permits are
free of charge to householders in Cornwall. Only
one permit is allowed per household.
One permit will be issued against each address and if a
household has more than one commercial type vehicle/large trailer
they will have to decide which to register for a permit.
Once a permit application is received the permit should be sent
out within 14 days which will then allow the user to attend the
site. It is not possible to attend the site during this period.
Hired vehicles
Vans hired by a householder for 3 days or less to deposit
household waste will be allowed to enter the HWRC without a permit.
The householder will be required to present the hire agreement to
site staff upon arrival at the HWRC and complete a trade waste
disclaimer confirming the waste is household and not trade
waste.
For hire periods over 3 days, the vehicle will not be allowed to
enter the site without a permit and householders should call 0300
1234 141 for more information.
Schedule
| Vehicle |
Allowed on site? |
Permit Required? |
|
Car- including estate cars
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
4X4
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
4x4 with open back or separate cab 
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Van under 3.5 tonnes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Van over 3.5 tonnes
|
No
|
-
|
|
Any van/pickup with any trailer
|
No
|
-
|
|
A vehicle with a trailer under 1.8m (6 feet) internal length
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
A vehicle with a trailer between 1.8m (6 feet) and 3m (9.8 feet)
internal length
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Horsebox under 3m long
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Trailer or horsebox over 3m long 
|
No
|
-
|
Disclaimer Forms
Trade waste disclaimer forms will continue to be used where site
staff cannot distinguish whether the waste is the result of trade
or domestic activity. Visitors will be asked to complete a form
confirming their waste is from their household. Records will be
maintained and continue to be shared with enforcement agencies in
case action is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
More information on the permit scheme and its restrictions is
available on the Frequently Asked Questions page.
Frequently Asked Questions