Changes to the way Oxfordshire’s seven household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) will operate have been approved.

Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet today agreed the recommendations which include changes to opening hours, although these will not come into effect until late 2027.

Oxfordshire’s HWRCs are currently open 63 hours a week (8am to 5pm daily), and this will remain the case until winter 2027.

From then onwards, summer opening hours (1 April – 30 September) will be 9am to 5pm (56 hours a week), and winter (1 October – 31 March) opening will be from 9am to 4pm (49 hours).

In addition to Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day when all sites close, from winter 2027 sites shall also be closed on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

The amended opening hours still compare favourably to those in many other parts of the country and are in line with feedback provided by the public.

More than 5,800 people provided feedback in a public consultation in the summer that guided the proposals.

Other changes that will come into force from early 2026, alongside the introduction of a booking system, which was approved in 2024, include:

  • The requirement for customers to separate all recyclable material from any unsorted mixed waste brought to HWRCs. Having all waste sorted prior to attending an HWRC is preferred, although on-site sorting areas will be provided.
  • Customers from outside Oxfordshire will be charged £15 per visit per vehicle.
  • Updates to the procedure for acceptance of cement bonded asbestos, including the addition of this waste stream to the list of chargeable items 
  • Updates to the current van and trailer permit scheme, which will not affect the majority of customers.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “Our officers have listened carefully to what people have said and we thank the public for such detailed and thoughtful feedback this summer. These minor changes to hours and days, supported by the consultation, won’t be implemented until winter 2027.

“Other changes, which will come in early 2026, will see a reduction in van and trailer permits to 10 per year, and a charge for HWRC users from outside the county, the costs of which are currently funded by Oxfordshire’s residents.

“This will keep the HWRCs open at the times they are most used, provide greater value for money for our council taxpayers and improve our residents’ already excellent recycling rates.”

Unlike many other parts of the country, including neighbouring areas, Oxfordshire does not currently limit the use of HWRCs to county residents only. In other areas, fees can range from £94.50 for a medium sized car boot full in Buckinghamshire to £10 per visit in Kent.

The council has a situation where Oxfordshire residents are prevented from using neighbouring authority facilities, while their residents are still able to use those in Oxfordshire – leading to increased service costs for Oxfordshire County Council.

The introduction of a reasonable fee for residents from outside of Oxfordshire will help the council to meet those extra costs, without ruling out access altogether for residents residing outside of Oxfordshire who may live close to its HWRCs.

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