MANY tips will reopen to the public in Cornwall on Tuesday – but the days you can go will be determined by your car registration number.

Cornwall Council closed the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) during the coronavirus crisis as it was concerned they could not operate and follow social distancing guidelines.

The centres also attracted large numbers of people at the start of the lockdown as many took advantage of the extra time and good weather to sort their gardens and DIY.

This led to long queues of traffic at the centres which struggled to cope with the extra demand.

After the Government announced at the end of last month that tips could reopen, Cornwall Council has been looking at ways of opening them in a safe way.

To do this they have set up a system which limits when people can visit their local tip.

This is based on car registration numbers – if the last number on your number plate is odd then you can only visit on a date which is an odd number, eg May 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 etc.

If your number plate ends in an even number you can only go on even dates – May 2, 4, 6, 8 etc.

And the council has said that the tips should only be used for “essential” waste, stating that this is waste which is at risk of causing injury or fire.

The council has also said that not all HWRCs will open, with Tintagel, Saltash and Dudnance Lane all set to remain closed.

In a statement issued to councillors they state: 'Cornwall’s Household Waste and Recycling Centres will reopen on Tuesday, May 19, but for safety reasons the council will need to restrict how and when residents access the sites and the types of waste they can bring.

'Unfortunately, reopening the HWRCs is not as simple as just unlocking the gates, and it has to be done in such a way that protects the safety and wellbeing of staff and the public. 'Each site is different and presents its own particular set of challenges. 'Therefore we are introducing restrictions to ensure we can operate them safely.

'The council have been putting together bespoke plans, including traffic management and social distancing systems, to protect the safety of site users and staff.

'If we are not satisfied that a site is operating safely, or if traffic congestion is creating issues on the public roads, then facilities may be closed at short notice.'

'They are opening HWRCs for essential use only. This means using an HWRC only for general rubbish (black bag waste or bulky items) and garden waste that cannot be stored safely at home without risk of injury or harm to health.

'Kerbside rubbish, recycling, garden and bulky waste collection services are all running as normal, so please check first to see if you can dispose of your waste by one of these services before going to an HWRC.'Report by local democracy reporter Richard Whitehouse.