FAQs

Timed waste collection or ‘time banding’ means commercial recycling and rubbish bags can only be placed on the street at certain times of day. The proposed time slots for King Street and Uxbridge Road are set out on the project homepage.

Where timed collections are in effect, commercial waste and recycling bags must only be presented on the street during the ‘presented’ time slots and must be collected by your waste collection provider within the ‘collected’ time slots.

Currently, commercial waste can be placed out for collection at any time during a 24-hour period. This can make the street look untidy and increases the risk of bags being split open and contributing to increased levels of litter and spillage. This can also make our streets harder to navigate and less accessible. Timed collections aim to improve the cleanliness and appearance of the street by reducing the amount of time waste bags are left on the street, making King Street and Uxbridge Road more attractive for everyone.

King Street has been selected as one of the first high streets to propose timed waste collection in response to concerns raised by local residents. The impact of the measures will be monitored and may provide a model for an approach that could be used in other parts of the borough if successful.

King Street is a vital part of daily life for residents and visitors from across London and is home to shops, workplaces, restaurants, civic buildings, and exciting cultural destinations.

We want to improve King Street and make it an event better place to visit and do business. This is one important step we're taking as part of our wider ambition to transform King Street into the future.

To ensure it continues to reflect the needs of the community and support the local economy, the Council is placing significant investment in King Street, including the Civic Campus development, creating a cultural corridor, enhancing the day and night time environment, and tackling the climate emergency through sustainable design.

Waste and recycling collection is a key factor in designing a high street responds to the needs of everyone who uses it, and our proposals for timed waste collection aim to build on the ongoing improvements for King Street.

Uxbridge Road has been selected as one of the first high streets to propose timed waste collection in response to concerns raised by local residents and because it has one of the highest levels of fly-tipping in the borough, with 569 reports of this in the year up to August 2025. The impact of the measures will be monitored and may provide a model for an approach that could be used in other parts of the borough if successful.

Uxbridge Road has a unique character and identity. It is home to a vibrant community, a diverse mix of shops and restaurants, a well-attended market, and award-winning cultural venues that serve both residents and visitors from across London. However, it is not without its challenges, and the Council is committed to delivering improvements which improve the cleanliness and vibrancy of Uxbridge Road while preserving the identity and diversity that make it a place to be proud of.

If the decision is made to progress with timed waste collections, we expect them to begin in early 2026.

Timed collections will happen on King Street and Uxbridge Road only and this will only apply to commercial waste and recycling

The Council will use Section 47 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended by sections 21 and 22 of the London Local Authorities Act 2007), to introduce timed collections of commercial waste and recycling. These regulations will set out how waste and recycling should be presented in the relevant locations. This information will be available on the Council website, placed in local newspaper publications and signage will be installed within each town centre affected by the regulations.

The London Local Authorities Act 2007 allows the Council to issue a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to businesses for any waste or recycling bags placed on the street outside the timed collection slots.  

The proposed timed collection slots provide a good amount of flexibility, with three windows for collection across the day. We want to know if the timings reflect the needs of local businesses so we’re welcoming feedback to ensure they are suitable for the area.

If a business still can’t present waste in the time slots, they will have to arrange alternative waste and recycling collection. This could mean a collection provider removing the bags directly from the business premises, or staff taking the bags out to the collection vehicle when it is outside, but no bags should touch the street floor.

If you notice your waste hasn’t been collected at the end of the time slot, you should bring it back into your premises and immediately contact your collection provider. They may be held up and can let you know when they will be arriving and provide you with alternative options, such as using a later time slot or direct collection from within your premises.

This scheme only applies to bagged, sacked and loose waste placed on the street for collection. If you use wheeled bins, these are not collected directly on King Street or Uxbridge Road, and you will not be affected by the changes and can continue with your method of waste collection as usual.

No. If timed collection proposals are progressed, we will engage with all waste collection providers operating on the high street to inform them of how this will impact their services.

It is your responsibility to have waste and recycling collected within the regulations, so you will need to use a collection provider who can collect in accordance with the scheme. Please remember it is also your responsibility to keep hold of waste transfer notes and any other relevant paperwork for inspection as required.

We are actively engaging with local businesses, waste collectors, residents and visitors so the views of those affected can be taken into consideration. You can have your say by completing the survey by Friday 12 December.

We will analyse all feedback we receive during the consultation period, and this will help shape the final plans, including the time slots for presenting and collecting waste.

We want to ensure waste collection works for everyone who uses King Street and Uxbridge Road. In addition to local businesses and waste collectors, we want to hear from people who live and work on and visit these streets.

At the end of the consultation period, we will analyse all feedback and summarise our findings in a public engagement report, which we will publish on the Have Your Say site.

Your feedback will help shape the final plans for timed waste collections, and if the decision is made to progress the scheme, we will write to waste collectors and local businesses and residents with more information about how the collections will work and when it will come into effect.