Hampshire County Council is considering using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help residents book recycling centre appointments by phone after concerns were raised that older and digitally excluded people are being shut out of the service.

The proposal emerged during a debate at full council on October 1, after Liberal Democrat councillors called for barriers to accessing household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) to be removed.

A motion urging the authority to consider reinstating a telephone booking line, or introducing alternative ways for residents to book appointments, was ultimately defeated.

Alton Liberal Democrat councillor Emily Young said she had recently spoken to the wife of a former county councillor in his 90s who became distressed after discovering the telephone booking service had been withdrawn.

“These residents are paying council tax. They have a basic right to be able to book a tip appointment,” she said.

Cllr Young argued that some residents were now being forced to rely on neighbours, friends or family members to make bookings on their behalf.

She added: “I strongly feel that we should be encouraging people to stay independent for as long as possible and not to have to rely on other people.”

She said restoring a telephone option would not require a significant financial investment but could make a substantial difference to those affected.

Other councillors echoed concerns about digital exclusion.

Cllr David Harrison said: “Anything that prevents people getting rid of their waste material from their home has to be both a bad thing from an environmental point of view but also a risk to their lives.”

However, Conservative councillors said any changes would need to be balanced against the council’s financial pressures and the success of the current online booking system.

Responding on behalf of the administration, executive member for universal services Kirsty North said she recognised that “digital exclusion is a real issue and that no resident should be left behind”.

She said the evidence did not support reinstating the telephone booking service.

Council figures show that of around 2.93 million bookings made at Hampshire’s recycling centres between May 2024 and August 2025, just over 28,000 were made by phone, representing less than one per cent of the total.

Cllr North added scrapping the service was saving around £67,000 a year and that overall appointment numbers had increased since the telephone line was withdrawn.

“Residents are happy with the speed and ease of booking an appointment, whether that’s by website or on the OurHants mobile app,” she said.

But she suggested technology could provide a middle ground.

Cllr North said: “I have tasked officers to explore whether modern AI-enabled telephone systems could provide a lower-cost alternative.

“I would rather explore innovative solutions such as AI-enabled telephone booking technology to support those residents who still prefer to use the telephone.”

The motion was later voted down.