HAMPSHIRE residents will have to register their vehicles for continued automatic free access to Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).

Those living outside of the county will be charged each time they use the centres as part of Hampshire County Council’s programme of cost-saving measures.

The county council’s deputy leader councillor Rob Humby said: “We know that people living close to the Hampshire border often use Hampshire’s HWRCs, and we want to continue to accommodate them and encourage recycling.

“However, to make this fair to Hampshire council taxpayers who are already contributing to the £100 million annual costs of dealing with Hampshire’s household waste, we are introducing a fee for non-Hampshire residents of £5 per visit.”

Some residents criticised the plan on Facebook.

Janice Montgomerie said: “This is a ridiculous idea as it will catch out so many innocent people while those that fly-tip will carry on regardless.”

But Tanya Applegath thought it was “a good idea”.

“If we want our council tax to remain low we have to ensure only those paying into the system use the services,” she added. “Hampshire is a large county and if people from outside came to use our services it would put a large strain on them.”

The new permit system will begin operating this spring. It will be controlled by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology and will ensure continued free access for Hampshire residents to any of the county’s 24 centres.

Charges for non-household waste, including soil and rubble, plasterboard and asbestos remain.

Residents can register up to three vehicles by visiting www.hants.gov.uk/vehicle-registration-hwrc. To register by phone, call 0300 555 1389.