Restricted vehicles for household waste recycling centres

You need a permit to use some vehicles at a household waste recycling centre. Some vehicles are not allowed.

It's illegal to bring business or commercial waste to a household waste recycling centre. We have 2 metre height barriers and restrict some vehicles to help prevent this.

Vehicles that are not allowed

You cannot use recycling centres if your vehicle:

• is more than 2 metres tall (including removable items such as a roof rack or roof box)
• is a hire van
• tipper or drop-sided lorry
• horsebox or agricultural trailer
• has a gross vehicle weight of more than 3.5 tonnes.

Campervans, minibuses and disability adapted vehicles over 2 metres tall may be allowed with a permit.

Vehicles that need a permit

You need a permit if your vehicle is a:

• panel van
• car-derived van with panels instead of windows or no rear seats
• people carrier, 4x4 or minibus with panels instead of windows or no rear seats
• minibus with 10 seats or more
• campervan or minibus over 2 metres tall with windows and seats throughout
• disability-adapted vehicle over 2 metres tall.

If you have a disability-adapted vehicle, include details of the adaptations in the 'extra information’ section of your application.

To apply for a permit, you must live in Kent and the vehicle must:

• be the only vehicle in your household
• be no more than 2 metres tall, unless it's a campervan, minibus or disability-adapted vehicle
• have a gross vehicle weight of less than 3.5 tonnes.

Apply for a restricted vehicle permit

Vehicles that do not need a permit

You do not need a permit if your vehicle:

• is not listed above
• is 2 metres tall or less
• has a gross vehicle weight of less than 3.5 tonnes.

Disability-adapted vehicles

We cannot raise the height barrier at the following sites:

• Faversham Household Waste Recycling Centre
• Sevenoaks Household Waste Recycling Centre
• Swanley Household Waste Recycling Centre.

To visit one of these sites in a disability-adapted vehicle over 2 metres tall, call 03000 417373 to request special access arrangements for your vehicle.

Trailers

Vehicles that do not need a permit can bring a trailer, but the trailer body must:

• be no more than 2.05 metres in length
• be within towing capacity
• remain hitched to the towing vehicle, unless our staff say so
• not have sides built up to allow for more capacity, as this is unsafe
• not be overloaded.

Vehicles that need a permit cannot bring a trailer.