From 2027, people using recycling centres across Greater Manchester will be asked to show proof of address, with driving licences expected to be the preferred form of identification.
The changes are designed to prevent people from outside Greater Manchester using the region’s tips for free after site closures in neighbouring areas.
However, concerns are now being raised about the impact on queues at the Raikes Lane recycling centre, where traffic regularly backs up onto surrounding roads.
Cllr Ismail Ibrahim, of Rumworth ward, said: “If you go on a Saturday or Sunday, you’ll see queues backed up all the way to Raikes Lane.
“People aren’t expecting to spend half an hour or more waiting just to get into the tip, and that’s going to be off-putting for a lot of people.”
The councillor believes the additional checks could create further delays at an already busy site.
He said: “It’s another layer of bureaucracy.
(Image: Bolton Council)
“If somebody is doing the responsible thing and taking their waste to the tip, then adding another process at the entrance is going to take more time.
“If you’re going to arrive and find a queue a mile long, that’s going to encourage fly-tipping. One hundred per cent.”
Bolton has long experienced congestion around the Raikes Lane site, particularly at weekends and after major holidays when demand is highest.
The recycling centre serves residents from across the borough and sits within a busy commercial area close to major routes including St Peter’s Way and Manchester Road.
(Image: Office of Yasmin Qureshi MP)
Owner of local business U-Drive, Stuart Lever, said he had raised concerns about traffic linked to the site years ago when planning proposals were being considered.
He said: “The site isn’t suitable for queuing because there’s nowhere to queue, and currently on a Saturday afternoon, there is a queue all the way across the road.
“That road is effectively closed on some weekends because it’s that gummed up with cars.”
Mr Lever argued the changes could affect not just tip users but nearby businesses and motorists.
He said: “They’re not taking into consideration the other businesses around there.
“The primary consideration has got to be road safety.
“What measures are they going to put in place to make sure there isn’t queuing back onto St Peter’s Way?”
The concerns come despite Greater Manchester authorities arguing the checks are needed to ensure residents fund and use the service fairly.
(Image: NQ)
During an initial rollout, people without proof of address are expected to receive reminders rather than being immediately turned away.
Cllr Ibrahim said he would be raising the issue through Bolton Council’s forthcoming “Bolton Deserves Cleaner Streets” task and finish group.
The councillor added: “Cars are already backing up on a weekend. I don’t think the infrastructure is there for this, and logistically, it doesn’t work.”
A GMCA spokesperson said that it is considering the possibility of site closures in neighbouring council areas, and pressures that may bring on sites, including queues and local traffic problems.
It is considering how they continue to provide “the best possible service” for Greater Manchester residents.