A new permit scheme to stop businesses illegally dumping commercial waste at recycling centres will be introduced.

Devon County Council’s cabinet on Wednesday (January 13) unanimously agreed to adopt the new scheme which will see free permits only be issued to vans registered to individual residents and not to vehicles registered to companies/businesses.

The new van permit scheme will help to ensure that only Devon residents deposit their own household waste at the sites, councillors were told.

Once registered, 12 permits for a rolling calendar year will be issued, with each permit allowing one visit to a household waste recycling centre (HWRC) - including the Knowle Hill site in Exmouth - and can be used as needed across a 12-month period.

Cllr Andrea Davis, cabinet member for waste, told the meeting, added: “We know the system is being abused as people are using household recycling centres for commercial waste.”

Cllr Rob Hannaford, leader of the Labour group, said he welcomed the scheme, the 12 permits a year is generous, and was right to stop the abuse of the system as council tax payers shouldn’t be subsiding businesses, while Cllr Alistair Dewhirst said that it was good news that people wouldn’t be charged.

The HWRC Van Permit system will require Devon residents who have a privately registered panel van that they wish to use to access a HWRC to register with the county council.

Once registered 12 permits for a rolling calendar year will be issued.

Each permit will allow one visit to a HWRC and can be used as needed across a 12-month period. The system will be based on ‘QR’ codes or similar with permits being scanned on access to each HWRC (either paper copies or via smart phones).

The IT system will then automatically deduct one of the 12 permits from the users’ annual account.

Meg Booth, chief officer for Highways, Infrastructure Development and Waste, in her report to the meeting, added: “Implementing the scheme will provide a system whereby Devon residents with privately registered vans can still access HWRCs albeit in a controlled manner.

“In addition, by further limiting the amount of vans at HWRC sites, facilities will be less congested and will be better placed and have more capacity to serve as many residents as possible.”