Stockton Residents ‘Paying More and Waiting Longer’ to Use Same Recycling Centre..
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Stockton West MP Demands Answers Over Haverton Hill Waste Facility…
18th August 2026
Stockton West MP Matt Vickers has demanded answers from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council over what he describes as an “unacceptable disparity” between the service offered to Stockton residents and neighbouring Middlesbrough residents using the same Haverton Hill recycling centre.
In a letter sent to council chief executive Mike Greene on the 17th of August, Mr Vickers raised concerns over waiting times for appointments at the household waste and recycling centre, as well as an additional £25 charge which can apply to Stockton residents disposing of certain household DIY waste using a van.
The MP claims that while Stockton residents can face waits of up to a week for an appointment, Middlesbrough residents using the same Haverton Hill facility appear able to obtain appointments much sooner — including on the same day, subject to availability.
Mr Vickers said he’d been informed that, as of the 17th of August, the next available appointment being offered to a Stockton resident was Monday 24th August.
Yet, according to his letter, Middlesbrough residents were being offered the opportunity to book same-day appointments at the very same site.
He described the apparent difference in service as “completely unacceptable”.
“Pay more. Wait longer. Get less.”
The Stockton West MP has also questioned why Stockton residents using a van to dispose of specified household DIY waste can be required to pay an additional £25 permit charge.
He said Middlesbrough Council’s published arrangements do not appear to impose an equivalent charge on its residents using the same recycling facility.
Mr Vickers also highlighted differences in council tax, arguing that Stockton residents already pay more than their neighbours in Middlesbrough before potentially facing the additional waste charge and longer appointment waits.
Summing up his concerns in the letter, the MP wrote..
“Pay more. Wait longer. Get less.”
He has now asked Stockton Council to explain exactly why its residents appear to be receiving a different level of access to the Haverton Hill facility
.
Mr Vickers has asked Stockton Council to clarify why Stockton residents are currently having to wait up to a week for an appointment and why Middlesbrough residents appear to have access to appointments sooner despite using the same facility, with the MP arguing that residents should be able to dispose of household waste “promptly and responsibly” and that having to wait up to a week while people living under a neighbouring council can apparently access the same site sooner is not a satisfactory service.
He acknowledged that contractual or administrative arrangements could potentially explain the difference but said Stockton residents should not be disadvantaged as a result.
Pressure now on council to explain arrangements
Although both Stockton and Middlesbrough residents can use the Haverton Hill facility, Mr Vickers’ intervention suggests the booking arrangements, charging policies and conditions of access may not be identical, with his letter now placing pressure on Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council to explain the contractual or operational reasons behind those differences — and whether changes could be made.
