PEOPLE taking their rubbish to household recycling centres will have to prove that they live locally before being allowed in.

The policy is being introduced by Wiltshire Council countywide from April 9.

In a note to members, it says the aim of the move is to stop outsiders using the facilities “as these sites are funded by Wiltshire Council for use by residents”.

Acceptable forms of ID will include a driving licence, council tax bill, utility bill –

either printed or displayed on a phone or tablet – or a van and large trailer permit.

If you cannot produce one of these at every visit, says the council, “you may be asked to leave without being allowed to dispose of your waste”.

Non-residents will not be allowed to pay to use the tips instead. The council says they can “use the sites provided in their own local authority area”.

In their note to councillors, Wiltshire’s leaders say: “Dealing with waste is becoming increasingly expensive, and we need to ensure that we do not incur costs associated with receiving waste from people who live in other councils’ areas.”

The council would not say how many non-Wiltshire residents used the tips at present and what was the cost to the county’s taxpayers.

It said it did not anticipate an increase in fly-tipping as result of the changes.

Explanatory leaflets will be sent out with council tax bills shortly, and there is expected to be some leeway in the first few weeks of the scheme’s operation to give people time to get used to it.

The move seems to have cross-party support.

Labour Cllr John Walsh told the Journal: “There’ll probably be some argy-bargy if people have waited 20 minutes in the queue only to find they can’t get in.

“But we can’t keep taking more money off council taxpayers without tightening up and keeping costs down for them.”

Ian McLennan, another Labour member, said: “The process is slow enough, without having to show ID. But folk will moan and get on with it.

“It’s no doubt a way of revealing visitors from other areas, where they charge, so the logic is there for public support. It’s the tips closer to the county border which are subject to that, more than Salisbury.”