NEW rules are restricting people to using tips in Bury just once a week — and others with larger vehicles just once a month.

From next month, people will be limited in how often they can use tips, with automatic number plate recognition and CCTV being used to monitor the number of trips people make over the year.

The strict new laws are designed to crack down on builders and tradesmen ­— who are supposed to pay for a waste licence ­— from using tips for free like members of the public.

The rules apply across the Greater Manchester boroughs and depend on the type of vehicle visitors drive. If residents visit more than one tip across the region, this will add to their total number of trips allowed.

The new rules are part of a crackdown on traders and businesses using the sites illegally and disposing of waste for free, says Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

In leaflets being handed out at tips, residents are being advised: “To deter traders, we are introducing limits on the number of times household waste recycling centres can be used by residents of Greater Manchester (excluding Wigan) each year, dependent on the type of vehicle used. The purpose of the limit is to stop businesses using household waste recycling centres, not prevent residents from visiting.

“If you use more than one household waste recycling centre, all your visits count towards your total allowance.

“It is illegal to dispose of trade or business waste at any of our household waste recycling centres. Household waste recycling centres are only for residents to dispose of their household waste.”

The regional leaders say that residents getting rid of household waste ‘should not be impacted by the changes’, despite the new limits.

In a statement, the authority said Greater Manchester is one of the only areas not operating such a system, with Wigan already using its own restrictions.

The statement said: “GMCA are introducing the new access restriction policy at all of our 20 household waste recycling centres in response to continuous illegal use of the sites by traders and businesses who are disposing of their waste for free. This illegal activity increases operating costs that are passed on to councils.

“The limits on the number of visits allowed has to be implemented to all visitors; residents and traders alike to allow us to identify traders illegally using the sites. The limit for a standard car has been set at a level that means that residents disposing of household waste should not be impacted by the changes.”

The bosses added: “The new policy will be introduced in February 2020 and will use automatic number plate recognition and vehicle load checks to stop traders from using the sites. Traders will be redirected to licensed waste facilities where they should pay for their waste disposal.”

The regulations being introduced next month will restrict people with cars and cars with single axle trailers to 52 visits per year. Cars with double axle trailers and vans up to 3.5 tonne gross vehicle weight can use the tips 18 times. Vans above 3.5 tonne gross weight are limited to 12 trips per year.