Booking system for tips hailed a success and made permanent in Milton Keynes

MK Council says the new system, introduced as a means of social distancing during the Covid crisis, will continue beyond the pandemic.

They say it will avoid queues and also stop people living outside the borough using the facilities, as everybody booking an appointment has to give an MK address.

More than 150,000 visits have been made to MK’s tips since May 2020, when the booking system was introduced .

Based on attempted bookings, the council estimates as many as one in five people using MK’s tips were actually coming from outside the borough. The bookings system has stopped that misuse, as a MK address is needed to complete the booking, meaning there is less strain on local resources.

The new system has also cut out queues completely. Previously, peak days could mean queuing for up to 30 minutes to enter a tip. During some busy periods the council even needed to put emergency traffic control measures in place to avoid people queuing on busy roads.

Last month, the council updated the online booking system to make it easier to use, and customer feedback has been positive both about the new system and about the experience at the tips themselves.

One local resident told MK Council, “I prefer booking my slot in advance, it’s not only saved me time but allowed me to plan ahead and I don’t have to queue like before.”

Cabinet member for the Public Realm, Cllr Emily Darlington said: “Introducing an online booking system has helped us make visiting the tip a better and less busy experience for our residents, and it’s safer too as we can prevent queuing on the road network. We’ve updated the system itself so it’s easier to use, and we’ll continue to make sure the maximum number of safe slots are available to book.”

“By moving across to an online booking system, we have successfully improved the experience for our residents, and it’s helped to prevent queuing on the road network.”

“As national lockdown restrictions ease, more people will want to use MK’s tips.”