A booking system that Shropshire residents must use to visit recycling centers would be scrapped if the Liberal Democrats were in power, the party says.

anyone you want Using the county’s five recycling centers now has to reserve a space which the Conservative-led council says will reduce the cost of disposing of commercial waste, non-recyclable waste and out-of-county waste.

But Liberal Democrat councilor Rob Wilson said he had “little faith” savings would be made.

He proposed abolishing the plan if the party were in charge of government after local elections in six months.

Spots can be reserved up to six days in advance, with 15 minutes reserved for cars and 30 minutes (60 minutes on weekends) for vans and trailers.

Conservative councilor Ian Nellins said plans elsewhere had “led to a significant increase in recycling and helped smooth demand throughout the day, reducing congestion and queues and making sites safer”.

“We are sure that will also be the case here in Shropshire.”

The new system does not cover the Telford & Wrekin Council area, but Telford residents can book to use sites in the Shropshire Council area.

Critics of the changes said they had not experienced lines at the sites and feared adding reservations would increase tips.

The authority said there was no evidence that recycling center booking systems elsewhere had caused that to happen.

Wilson, shadow portfolio holder for climate, environment and transport, said if people trusted the Lib Dems in the impending election then they would consider canceling it.

“This is a solution in search of a problem,” he said.

“If the Conservatives had listened to the 18,000 people who responded to their consultation, they would have heard that 59% of residents opposed the introduction of the booking system, and only a quarter supported it.

“The comments highlighted that it was too much hassle, unnecessary and counterproductive.”