Construction waste from around Eastleigh and Fair Oak can go to one of three places: a council household waste recycling centre, a licensed waste transfer station, or a collection service that takes it away for you. The right choice depends on how much material you have, what it is, and whether it comes from your own home or from paid work.
This guide explains what each option accepts, the rules that apply, and where our own waste transfer station in Fair Oak fits in.
Council recycling centres for small amounts of DIY waste
Hampshire County Council runs four household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) for residents of Eastleigh borough: Fair Oak on Knowle Lane, Hedge End on Shamblehurst Lane, Netley on Grange Road, and the Eastleigh site at Stoney Croft Rise in Chandler’s Ford. Every visit has to be booked in advance through the county council’s website.
These sites take soil, rubble, bricks, concrete, tiles and plasterboard from your own DIY projects, but only in limited quantities. At the time of writing, each household can bring up to eight 50-litre rubble sacks, or four single items, every four weeks without charge.
Anything over that allowance is charged per sack or item, and plasterboard costs more than rubble. Waste from work carried out by a builder or other tradesperson is not covered by the free allowance, even if the work was done at your house.
A council recycling centre suits a bathroom refit or a small patio job. Once you are dealing with trailer loads of spoil, or the waste comes from a paid job, it is usually quicker and cheaper to use a licensed site that accepts trade and bulk loads.
Check the county council’s DIY waste page for the current allowance and charges before you book.
A licensed waste transfer station for larger loads
A waste transfer station is a permitted site where waste is delivered, sorted and sent on for recycling or disposal. Inert waste such as hardcore, soil and rubble is often screened and crushed on site so it can be reused as recycled aggregate rather than going to landfill.
Our transfer station at 1 Knowle Lane, Fair Oak, Southampton SO50 7RE operates under Environmental Permit CP3492HF and takes inert construction waste from trade customers and the public. Loads are weighed on an independently calibrated weighbridge, so the charge reflects what you actually tip rather than an estimate.
Most customers can turn up during opening hours without booking, which makes the site practical for builders and groundworkers who need to clear a site the same day. If you have a large load or several loads, call ahead so we can make sure there is space.
The site is open Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 5pm and on Saturday from 8am to 12pm. It is closed on Sundays.
Two sites on Knowle Lane: the council tip and our yard
People searching for the Fair Oak tip or “Fair Oak dump” opening times are often looking for one of two separate sites on the same road. The Fair Oak HWRC (SO50 7DZ) is the council’s household recycling centre, run on behalf of Hampshire County Council, with its own opening hours and booking system.
Our waste transfer station (SO50 7RE) is a privately operated, permitted site for inert construction waste.
If you are bringing household rubbish, garden clippings, furniture or electrical items, the council site is the one you need. If you are bringing hardcore, soil, brick or concrete in a van, trailer or tipper, or the waste comes from a paid job, come to us.
What you can take, and where
Inert materials are the easiest construction waste to dispose of, because they can be recycled rather than buried. Our transfer station accepts:
- Clean and mixed hardcore
- Inert soils
- Brick, concrete and rubble
- Sub-base and excavation spoil
- Stone and crushed material
- Green waste, wood and metal by prior arrangement
We do not accept general household waste, hazardous waste, asbestos or plasterboard. Plasterboard has to be kept separate from other construction waste because the gypsum in it can produce hydrogen sulphide gas when it breaks down in landfill.
Small amounts from your own DIY can go to a council HWRC within the allowance. Cement-bonded asbestos sheeting from a household can only go to certain council sites by advance arrangement, and Netley is the nearest of those to Eastleigh.
Larger quantities, and any other type of asbestos, need a licensed specialist contractor.
Getting the waste collected instead
Carrying spoil yourself is not always practical, particularly after excavation work, where a footing or driveway dig can produce several tonnes of material. In those cases, grab and tipper hire is often the simplest option.
A grab lorry can lift material over walls or hedges from the roadside, and a tipper can be loaded directly by a digger on site.
Because we run both the lorries and the transfer station, material we collect from sites in Eastleigh and the surrounding area comes straight back to Fair Oak for processing. Clean inert waste is screened and crushed into secondary aggregates, which go back into use on other jobs as recycled aggregates.
A skip is another option for mixed waste, but it usually costs more for heavy inert material, and a skip placed on the road needs a permit from the council.
Your legal responsibilities for construction waste
Anyone producing waste has a legal duty of care to make sure it ends up somewhere authorised to take it. This applies to homeowners as well as businesses.
If someone offers to take your rubble away, check that they are a registered waste carrier on the Environment Agency’s public register before you hand it over. If waste you passed on is later fly-tipped, you can be held responsible.
Businesses must also complete a waste transfer note whenever waste changes hands, describing the material and where it is going. These notes must be kept for at least two years.
Using a permitted transfer station gives you a clear, documented disposal route if a client, main contractor or inspector ever asks where the material went.
Preparing a load before you set off
A little preparation makes tipping quicker and avoids having a load refused at the gate.
- Keep inert material separate from wood, metal, plastic and packaging where you can.
- Remove any plasterboard, insulation or hazardous items before loading.
- Sheet or net open loads so nothing falls on the road during the journey.
- Call ahead if you are unsure whether something will be accepted, or if you are bringing several loads.
Tipping construction waste in Fair Oak
To tip hardcore, soil or rubble at our Fair Oak site, or to book a grab or tipper to collect it, get in touch or call us on 023 8069 6482.
