Hertfordshire waste officials have drawn up cost-cutting plans that would require residents to register for an e-pass to access the county's network of recycling centres.

For the past two years, anyone using one of the council's 16 sites has had to prove they live in Hertfordshire – or that they have permission to use the service.

But checks at the centres have been dependent on staff being available – and, officials say, have not been consistently applied.

Now waste chiefs have drawn up plans for an e-pass system that, with the use of ANPR cameras, would immediately alert recycling centre staff if an unregistered vehicle was on the site.

That would enable them to turn away those sneaking in from neighbouring authorities without a reciprocal agreement or those seeking to dispose of business waste, liable for a commercial charge.

In January, the proposal was backed by a meeting of the county council's environment, transport and growth cabinet panel.

If approved by a meeting of the council's cabinet on February 16, it will be introduced "as soon as practically possible".

Executive member for environment, growth and transport, Cllr Paul Zukowsky,j says the introduction of the e-pass would limit access to those who are legitimately allowed to use the recycling centres.

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But he also points to the high levels of abuse targeted at staff, with surveys suggesting nearly all of those working at the centres experience regular abuse.

And he suggests that the introduction of the e-pass system could also be used to protect staff.

"It's pretty obvious that there are residents from outside of Hertfordshire that are using Hertfordshire recycling centres to get rid of their rubbish – and Hertfordshire residents are paying for it," Cllr Zukowskyj told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"The e-pass will limit access to people who are funding the system.

"So what it means is that we can be reasonably certain that people depositing waste are Hertfordshire residents, who have paid their council tax to use the system.

"At a fundamental level, it's as simple as that.

"The second aspect is, because you have a car registration, you have a mechanism to identify who an individual user is.

"So if they are abusive or assault one of our members of staff, we can prevent them from using the service or give a temporary ban."

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The introduction of the e-passes would not, say officials, require users to book a slot or introduce additional restrictions.

Applications for the passes, valid for three years, would take only a few minutes.

And at the meeting, it was stressed that there would be help available by phone or at the recycling sites for those residents unable to register for an e-pass themselves.

Public concerns that the change may lead to an increase in fly-tipping were highlighted as part of the consultation on the proposals.

But councillors were told there was no evidence that demand management measures increased fly-tipping activity.

Meanwhile, plans have also been drawn up to charge residents for a new service at recycling centres that would deal with "excess DIY waste".

Under current legislation, many DIY waste types are classed as industrial waste even if they are generated at home.

The county council's recycling centres will only accept up to 100 litres of DIY waste or a single item measuring no more than 200cm by 75cm by 70cm.

But under the latest council plans, the centres would accept larger amounts of excess DIY waste, for an additional charge, rather than turning residents away.

Cllr Zukowskyj believes the service will be welcomed by residents.

At the meeting, he recounted his own experience of being turned away from a recycling centre with too much soil, after digging out a garden path.

He said that if there had been an option to pay an additional charge, he would very happily have done so.

Following the meeting, he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that being able to dispose of the excess DIY waste was "beneficial". He hoped most residents would be relatively positive about the change.

In advance of the meeting, the council had consulted on the two cost-cutting proposals, alongside a further proposal not to accept unsorted waste.

At the meeting, it was reported that the plans to introduce an e-pass and to offer a chargeable service for excess DIY waste were the favoured two options.

There are, it was reported, no plans to implement proposals not to accept unsorted residual waste at the recycling centres, which was the "least preferred option", according to the public consultation.

But, councillors were told, that this option would still be kept under review for future consideration.