Council money, paper and time saver shortlisted for national award
A council scheme which saves money, paper and residents’ time is in line for a national award.
Buckinghamshire County Council phased out postal waste permits replacing them with innovative digital permits in autumn 2016.
The move is projected to save £35,000 per year and remove the need to mail out 18,000 paper permits, which takes up to three days to arrive through residents’ letter boxes. It will also stop 79 days’ worth of calls to the council’s contact centre.
The council has now been shortlisted in the national Paperless Awards 2017, with the winner announced in July.
The digital permits were the first in the country to make innovative use of QR codes.
Residents now instantly receive their permit via email and can present it on their smart phone to waste site staff, who simply scan the QR code.
Bill Chapple OBE, Cabinet Member for Planning and Environment, said: “The digital permits are a triple win – saving money, saving paper and saving our residents’ time. I am pleased to say that we’re on our way to eliminating the 54,000 days per a year residents used to spend waiting for their paper permits – and saving on paper makes good financial and environmental sense.”
Most people won’t require a permit, which is needed only if using a commercial vehicle, visiting on foot, disposing of asbestos or using a vehicle with a trailer larger than 1.2 x 0.9m.
