Permits for household waste recycling centre

You need one of the following permits to visit our household waste and recycling centres (tips):

• a residents' permit for cars (or some photo ID to show that you live in Barnsley)
• a van or trailer permit

You can only apply for a permit if you live in Barnsley. We don't allow residents from outside of Barnsley to use our sites.

You can't take any business or trade waste to our household waste recycling centre. Find out more about how to dispose of commercial waste.

Residents' permits

You can visit any of our household waste and recycling centres to collect a permit that you stick in the window of your vehicle. The permit will have your car registration details on. If you're using more than one car, you'll need a sticker for each vehicle.

The residents' permit allows you to visit the recycling centre in a:

• car
• estate car
• people carrier
• 4x4 without a pickup

To collect a permit you'll need to bring the following documents with you:

• vehicle V5 registration document for your car, with your name and your Barnsley address on it
• proof that you live in Barnsley and that the vehicle is leased to you if you have a Motability or company car and you don't have a V5 document

We can't give you a resident's permit for your car if you don't have the above documents.

Using sites without a residents' permit

You can still use our recycling sites without a vehicle permit for your car. You'll need to take some ID with you, like your driving licence, that has your photo and address on. Take it with you every time as you may be challenged. 

This means you're still able to borrow somebody else's car, use a hire car, or travel as a passenger with somebody who doesn't have a permit.

If a family member has moved into a care home or has passed away and there are items you need to dispose of, please contact us so that we can provide you with advice and help you with your waste needs.

If you use the tip regularly without a residents' permit, we may ask you to fill in a waste declaration form. This is to confirm that the rubbish is household and not commercial waste.

Van or trailer permits

You need to use our online form below to apply for a van or trailer permit if you're using any of these vehicles to take your household waste to one of our tips:

• a car with a trailer (maximum size 7' x 4')
• a 4x4 with pickup
• a small van
• any van under 5.2 metres in length
• a minibus (short wheel base)
• a medium camper van

A van and trailer permit is a book of 12 individual slips. Each slip allows you to visit the site once. The permit book doesn't expire until you've used all the slips. You're only allowed one permit book a year.

You're only allowed to dispose of five 25kg bags of rubble/construction type waste twice a year. Each time you do this, we’ll mark it on your permit. You're not allowed to use your permit to dispose of waste from a business.

If your van is adapted for a disability, we encourage you to apply for a van permit regardless of its size. You may be asked to provide photographs of the vehicle in addition to other supporting documentation so an individual assessment can be made.

You're not allowed to visit our sites in some other types of vehicle; please see the list below.

Documents you need for a van or trailer permit

When you apply for a van or trailer permit you need to upload a copy of the first and second page of your V5 vehicle registration document. You also need to upload any one of the following documents containing your address:

• Council Tax bill
• tenancy agreement or rent book
• utility bill (gas, water or electricity)
• recent bank statement
• driving licence

If you're applying for a permit for a company vehicle we also need a letter from the company on letter headed paper confirming you're authorised to use the vehicle to transport household waste. Email us at hwrcpermits@barnsley.gov.uk if you need advice about acceptable wording.

If you can't upload copies of the documents when you fill in the form you need to send these to us within 28 days either by:

• emailing them to hwrcpermits@barnsley.gov.uk
• posting them to Waste Management, Smithies Lane Depot, Barnsley, S71 1NL

Renewing your van or trailer permit

You can only renew your permit once every 12 months, and only if you've used all the slips.

You also need to provide supporting documentation when you apply for a renewal; see the 'documents you need for a van or trailer permit' section above.

More information