Southport's Foul Lane tip opens 8am to 5pm from 1 October and shuts only on three days at Christmas. Van bookings, asbestos, and the booking plan now out to consultation.
Southport’s tip on Foul Lane moves to winter hours on Thursday 1 October 2026: 8am to 5pm, every day, until 31 March. It closes on only three days a year, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. In a car you can just turn up. That may change after 2029: a consultation on booking every visit closed on 22 September.
The quick answer
- Winter hours, 1 October to 31 March: 8am to 5pm. Summer hours, 1 April to 30 September: 8am to 8pm.
- Closed only on 25 December, 26 December and 1 January. Open every other day, including the Monday bank holiday on 28 December.
- No booking for cars. Vans and trailers of 2 to 3 metres must book, free, and are limited to 12 visits a year.
Sefton’s four tips
Sefton’s household waste recycling centres are run for the council by the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority. All four keep the same hours (MRWA; Sefton Council).
| Tip | Address | Winter hours | On foot? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southport | Foul Lane, Southport PR9 7RG | 8am to 5pm | No pedestrian access |
| Formby | Altcar Road, Formby L37 8DL | 8am to 5pm | No pedestrian access |
| Sefton Meadows | Sefton Lane, Maghull L31 8BX | 8am to 5pm | No pedestrian access |
| South Sefton | Irlam Road, Bootle L20 4AE | 8am to 5pm | Yes, through the pedestrian gate |
Cyclists, with or without a trailer, can use all four by following the vehicle route. Any Merseyside householder can use any Merseyside tip, so Southport residents can also use sites in Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens or Wirral.
Christmas and New Year
Sefton confirmed for Christmas 2025 that the tips were open 8am to 5pm every day apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and MRWA’s site lists the same three closures as standing policy. For 2026 that means the tips are shut on Friday 25 December, Saturday 26 December and Friday 1 January, and open on Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and the substitute bank holiday on Monday 28 December.
Real Christmas trees can go in at any Sefton recycling centre, the council says (Sefton Council). There is no kerbside tree collection. The Christmas changes to bin rounds are on our Christmas bin collections page.
Vans, trailers and asbestos
- Vans and trailers between 2 and 3 metres (external box length) need a free appointment at every Merseyside tip. Book through MRWA’s booking portal or on 07774 787340 or 07774 787370.
- 12 visits a year is the limit for anyone using a van of any size or a large trailer, garden waste included.
- A car does not need a booking, unless it is towing a 2 to 3 metre trailer.
- Asbestos is taken only at Southport among the Sefton sites, by appointment through Veolia’s asbestos disposal service. Sefton gives the booking number as 0203 567 4200.
- Trade waste is refused. If a contractor takes your rubbish away, it becomes trade waste and the tip will not accept it from them.
What Southport’s tip takes, and does not
MRWA’s list for the Sefton sites covers the usual: cardboard, glass, cans, garden waste, rubble, soil, plasterboard, wood, scrap metal, fridges and freezers, televisions, mattresses, tyres, textiles, car and household batteries, engine and cooking oil, and disposable vapes. Upholstered sofas and chairs go in a separate container, and staff will direct you to it.
Two exceptions matter locally:
- Reusable bicycles are accepted at the other Sefton tips but not at Southport.
- Paint is taken only at Old Swan in Liverpool, not at any Sefton site.
Anything left on the ground outside the banks is treated as fly-tipping, the council warns.
The consultation: booking for every visit?
MRWA ran a consultation on the future of Merseyside’s tips that closed on 22 September 2026. It asked about four changes:
- Merseyside residents only, with proof of address.
- A yearly visit limit for everyone, not just vans. No number has been proposed.
- A booking system for all visits, cars included.
- Sorting recyclable from non-recyclable waste before you arrive.
No decision has been made. MRWA says the responses will be independently analysed and a summary published. Its FAQ says that any changes are not proposed until the new tip contract starts in June 2029, though trials could come earlier if the Authority’s members agree. It also says residents will not be charged to use the tips.
Getting to Foul Lane from the town centre means the Kew roundabout, where the Southport Eastern Access works are under way; the latest is on our roadworks page.
Still to be confirmed
- Christmas 2026 hours. The standing rule is three closure days; Sefton normally repeats it on its Christmas page in December.
- The consultation result, and whether any trial of booking or resident checks comes before 2029.
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