Refuse Collection for New Developments: A Practical Guide
Refuse collection is easily overlooked during the early stages of a development, but it can have a significant influence on the final site layout.
For many developments, the solution is straightforward: residents present their bins at an appropriate collection point and the refuse collection vehicle continues along the public highway. On larger or more constrained sites, however, consideration may need to be given to whether the refuse vehicle enters the development, where bins are stored and presented for collection, how far residents and collection crews are expected to move them, and whether adequate access and manoeuvring space is available.
These issues can become particularly important for apartment schemes, backland developments, private access roads and developments where space for vehicle turning is limited.
Considering refuse collection at an early stage can avoid substantial changes to a site layout later in the planning process. This guide explains some of the principal transport and highway considerations for developers, architects and planning professionals designing new developments.
Why Refuse Collection Matters at Planning Stage
Refuse collection is not simply a matter of providing sufficient space for bins.
The collection strategy can influence the width and geometry of access roads, vehicle turning requirements, gradients, pedestrian routes, bin-store locations and even the structural design of private roads. On constrained sites, providing sufficient space for a large refuse collection vehicle to enter and turn can have a significant effect on the amount of developable land available.
It is therefore important to establish the intended collection strategy before the site layout becomes fixed.
Key Refuse Collection Questions for New Developments
The appropriate refuse collection strategy will depend on the scale and type of development, the site layout and the requirements of the relevant waste collection authority. However, there are a number of practical questions that should be considered at an early stage of the design process.
The following sections address some of the most common issues that arise when considering refuse collection for new developments, from bin movement distances and vehicle access to swept path analysis and communal bin stores.
1. How Far Can Bins Be Moved for Collection?
There are two different distances to consider: the distance residents travel to deposit or present their waste and the distance collection crews are expected to move containers.
Approved Document H provides a useful starting point. It advises that waste storage areas should be positioned so that the distance householders are required to carry refuse does not usually exceed 30 metres, excluding vertical distance. It also advises that containers should be within 25 metres of the waste collection point specified by the waste collection authority.
These figures should not, however, be confused with the distance a collection crew will necessarily move a bin.
BS 5906 provides more detailed good-practice guidance for waste management in buildings. Published guidance drawing on the Standard commonly identifies maximum collection-crew movement distances of around 15 metres for two-wheeled containers and 10 metres for four-wheeled containers. BS 5906 remains a current code of practice covering the storage, collection and handling of waste associated with buildings.
Individual waste collection authorities may apply their own operational requirements, which can be more restrictive.
This distinction is important. A bin store may be conveniently located for residents while still being too far from the refuse vehicle for the proposed collection arrangement to operate satisfactorily.
The requirements of the relevant waste collection authority should therefore be established at an early stage.
2. Does the Refuse Vehicle Need to Enter the Site?
There is sometimes an assumption that if new dwellings are served from a private access road, the refuse vehicle must also use that road.
That is not necessarily the case.
Where suitable arrangements can be made for bins to be presented at an appropriate collection point accessible from the public highway, the refuse vehicle may be able to remain on its existing collection route.
For smaller developments, this can be a considerably more efficient solution than designing the entire internal access around one of the largest vehicles likely to visit the site.
For other developments, particularly larger schemes or sites where the distance between dwellings and the public highway is substantial, access by the refuse vehicle may be necessary.
The appropriate solution will depend upon the particular site, the scale and type of development, the proposed waste management arrangements and the operating requirements of the relevant waste collection authority.
The important point is that refuse vehicle access should be a considered design decision rather than an automatic assumption.
3. What Access Does a Refuse Vehicle Require?
Where a refuse vehicle does need to enter the development, its requirements should be considered from the outset.
Refuse collection vehicles are large, heavy vehicles and can place very different demands on an access road from cars and light commercial vehicles. The design therefore needs to consider more than whether the vehicle can physically fit between the kerbs.
Relevant considerations can include:
carriageway width and available passing space;
junction geometry;
vertical clearance;
gradients;
vehicle turning requirements;
pavement construction and load-bearing capacity;
interaction with parked vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
There is no single refuse collection vehicle that should automatically be used for every development. Vehicle fleets vary between authorities and operators, and the appropriate design vehicle should ideally be established with the organisation responsible for collecting the waste.
Approved Document H itself recognises this principle, advising that the collection point should be reasonably accessible to the size of waste collection vehicles typically used by the relevant waste collection authority.
Where the refuse vehicle will travel over a private road, consideration should also be given to whether the pavement construction, covers, drainage features and other infrastructure are capable of accommodating the fully laden vehicle.
4. Should Refuse Vehicles Be Expected to Reverse?
As a general principle, unnecessary reversing by large service vehicles should be minimised, particularly where vehicles interact with pedestrians and cyclists.
That does not mean, however, that any reversing movement is automatically unacceptable.
Manual for Streets makes an important wider point: local streets should accommodate service vehicles without allowing their requirements to dominate the layout. It also recognises that, on low-speed streets with low traffic flows, larger vehicles may use the full width of the carriageway to manoeuvre.
The acceptability of reversing therefore needs to be considered in context.
A short, controlled reversing manoeuvre within a low-speed development can be very different from reversing for a substantial distance along a busy pedestrian route or reversing blindly onto a public highway.
Existing urban situations can also require pragmatism. A refuse vehicle may already reverse along an existing street as part of an established collection route. A new development served from that street does not necessarily justify bringing the refuse vehicle into the site simply to eliminate a manoeuvre that already forms part of the existing collection operation.
Where reversing is proposed, the requirements of the relevant waste collection authority should be checked. Some authorities prescribe maximum reversing distances or particular arrangements for cul-de-sacs and private roads.
The objective should therefore be to minimise unnecessary reversing and demonstrate that any manoeuvre that remains can take place safely and practically.
5. How Should Turning and Swept Paths Be Assessed?
Where a refuse vehicle is expected to enter a development, swept path analysis will normally be an important part of demonstrating that the proposed layout can accommodate it.
Wherever possible, the assessment should use a vehicle representative of the actual refuse collection vehicle expected to serve the development rather than simply selecting a convenient generic vehicle from tracking software.
A good swept path assessment also considers much more than whether the wheels remain within the carriageway.
Vehicle body overhang, mirrors, walls, buildings, parked cars, street furniture, gates, footways and other potential obstructions should all be considered. Appropriate clearance should also be maintained rather than designing a manoeuvre where the tracked vehicle only just fits.
The objective is to demonstrate a movement that a driver could reasonably undertake during normal operation, not a theoretically possible manoeuvre requiring perfect positioning.
Where sufficient space is available, arrangements that allow the vehicle to enter and leave in forward gear will generally be preferable. However, on constrained sites, limited reversing may sometimes provide a proportionate solution.
Again, the key principle is that the refuse vehicle should be properly accommodated without unnecessarily allowing its requirements to dictate the entire development layout.
6. What About Flats and Communal Bin Stores?
Apartment developments introduce additional considerations because residents will commonly deposit waste into communal containers rather than presenting individual household bins.
The location and design of the communal bin store therefore become particularly important.
The store needs to be convenient for residents, accessible to collection crews and sufficiently large to accommodate the required number and type of containers. Consideration may also need to be given to accessibility, doors and gates, ventilation, drainage, lighting, security, noise and odour.
The route between the bin store and collection point is equally important.
Large four-wheeled containers can be difficult to manoeuvre, particularly over uneven surfaces or significant gradients. Routes should therefore be appropriately surfaced and, wherever practicable, free from steps and unnecessary changes in level.
Approved Document H advises that steps should be avoided between container stores and collection points wherever possible. For containers of up to 250 litres, slopes should generally not exceed 1:12; for larger containers, steps should be avoided and the storage area relocated where necessary.
Management arrangements also require careful thought.
On some constrained developments, a management company or caretaker may move communal bins from their normal storage area to a designated collection point on collection day. This can provide a practical solution, but only where the arrangement is realistic and capable of operating reliably throughout the life of the development.
A good refuse strategy therefore considers not simply whether the layout works on a drawing, but who moves the bins, where they are presented, how they are collected and what happens to them afterwards.
Refuse Collection on Constrained, Backland and Car-Free Developments
This is where early transport planning advice can be particularly valuable.
A constrained development does not necessarily need to accommodate a large refuse vehicle within the site.
For a small backland development, for example, it may be preferable for the refuse vehicle to remain on the existing public highway while bins are presented at an accessible collection point. This can avoid designing a disproportionately large access road and turning head simply to accommodate a vehicle that may visit the development only once a week.
Similarly, a car-free development does not mean that vehicle access can be ignored. Refuse collection, deliveries, servicing, emergency access and maintenance still need to be considered even where residents themselves have no parking provision.
The key is to consider these activities together rather than independently.
A layout designed solely around a refuse vehicle may consume unnecessary land. Conversely, a layout developed without considering servicing and refuse collection until the end of the design process can result in excessive bin movement distances, problematic vehicle manoeuvres or significant redesign.
On constrained developments there can also be merit in separating bin storage from bin collection. Containers can be stored in a convenient location for residents during normal use and moved to a designated collection point on collection day, provided that there is a robust and deliverable management arrangement.
The best solution is therefore not necessarily the one that gets the refuse vehicle closest to every dwelling.
It is the solution that provides a safe, practical and reliable collection arrangement while responding appropriately to the constraints of the development.
Getting Refuse Collection Right
Refuse collection is rarely the first consideration when designing a new development, but resolving it early can prevent significant problems later in the planning process.
The starting point should be to understand how waste will actually be collected.
Does the refuse vehicle need to enter the site? Where will bins normally be stored? Where will they be presented for collection? How far will residents and collection crews need to move them? If the vehicle enters the development, can it manoeuvre safely and can the access accommodate its size and weight?
There is no single solution that will be appropriate for every development. Requirements vary between waste collection authorities, vehicle fleets and development types, making early consultation and site-specific assessment important.
For constrained developments in particular, the most appropriate solution can sometimes be relatively simple: keep the refuse vehicle on the existing highway and design a practical collection arrangement around it.
DW Transportation advises developers, architects and planning consultants on refuse collection, servicing and vehicle access as part of the preparation of Transport Statements, Delivery and Servicing Plans and planning applications. Swept path analysis can also be undertaken to demonstrate that proposed access and manoeuvring arrangements are suitable for the vehicles expected to serve a development.