If you have driven to Langley Park Road with a boot full of rubbish in the last few weeks, you will have found the gates shut. Langley is one of the two Buckinghamshire tips that Slough residents can use for free, and for Langley, Iver, Richings Park, Colnbrook and the east side of Slough it was the closest one. It is now out of action for months.
This guide covers what has actually changed, which site to use instead depending on where you live and what you are carrying, and the rules at each one. Every fact was checked against Buckinghamshire Council’s and Slough Borough Council’s own pages on 2 October 2026. Temporary arrangements change, so check the council page before you load up.
Is Langley tip open? The closure in full
No. Langley is closed every day of the week, and the council is not running a partial service. These are the facts it has published:
| What the council says | |
|---|---|
| Site | Langley Household Recycling Centre, Langley Park Road, Langley SL3 6DD (run by Buckinghamshire Council) |
| Last day open | Tuesday 8 September 2026 |
| Closed from | Wednesday 9 September 2026 |
| Expected to reopen | Before Easter 2027 (Slough Borough Council says “spring 2027”) |
| Why | Essential drainage improvements to keep the site legally compliant. Tree works come first, then the main drainage work |
| Why it is fully shut | The site has to be completely emptied and cannot stay partly open during construction |
| Where to go instead | Burnham (now 7 days a week) or Beaconsfield, the council says. Langley staff have moved to Burnham to cope with the extra visitors |
The council has also said the Langley works are more complex than the Aylesbury closure that started a week earlier, so do not plan a big clear-out around an early reopening. If you are mid-renovation or emptying a house this winter, assume Langley will not be available.
Do not leave anything at the gates
Waste left outside a closed recycling centre is fly-tipping, and Buckinghamshire Council says it uses CCTV and number-plate recognition cameras to investigate. A bag left by the gate at Langley is treated exactly as if it had been dumped in a lay-by.
The nearest open tips, side by side
Which site you should use depends on two things: which council you pay Council Tax to, and what vehicle you are in. This is the shortlist for anyone who used to rely on Langley:
| Site | Free for | Winter hours (Oct–Mar) | Vans | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnham Crowpiece Lane, SL2 3TG |
Bucks and Slough residents | 7 days, 9am–4pm (during the Langley closure) | Yes, with a free e-permit | Only 6 unloading spaces. No asbestos. The council’s first choice for Langley users |
| Beaconsfield A40 London Road, HP9 2XB |
Bucks and Slough residents | 7 days, 9am–4pm | Yes, with a free e-permit | 11 unloading spaces. Takes asbestos with a permit. Paid business waste weekdays |
| Chalvey White Hart Road, SL1 2SF |
Slough and Royal Borough residents | 7 days, 9am–5pm | No — vans go to the weighbridge | Not taking sofas and other upholstered seating, or textiles |
| Harefield New Years Green Lane, UB9 6LX |
Hillingdon residents only | See our Harefield guide | Limited visits | The tip for West Drayton, Yiewsley and Uxbridge, not for Slough or Bucks |
| Stafferton Way Maidenhead, SL6 1AY |
Royal Borough residents | See our Maidenhead guide | Per-visit van permit | The right site for Datchet and Windsor households |
For most of Langley village, Colnbrook, Poyle and east Slough, Burnham is now the nearest site you can use for free, but it is also the one taking almost all of Langley’s displaced visitors through six unloading bays. If you can get to Beaconsfield, it has nearly twice the space.
Burnham recycling centre: the main stand-in
Address: Crowpiece Lane, Burnham, SL2 3TG. Burnham normally shuts on Wednesdays and Thursdays. While Langley is closed, it is open seven days a week.
| Season | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Winter (1 Oct – 31 Mar) | Monday to Sunday while Langley is shut | 9am – 4pm |
| Summer (1 Apr – 30 Sep) | Monday to Sunday while Langley is shut | 9am – 6pm |
| Bank holidays | Open | Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day |
The council says Burnham is busiest on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and quietest on Tuesday mornings. When it is busy, the last car may be let in before closing time so that everyone already inside can unload and leave. Both of Burnham’s webcams, one at the entrance and one inside, are linked from the council’s Burnham page. Check them before you set off on a weekend.
Free at Burnham (for Bucks and Slough residents): general waste, garden waste, paper and cardboard, furniture (including broken-up furniture), mattresses, carpet, fridges, cookers and other large appliances, small electricals, TVs and monitors, clothing and textiles, books for reuse, batteries, aerosols, gas bottles, cooking oil, coffee pods, vapes, hardened paint, up to 2 car batteries and 4 fluorescent tubes a year, and up to 10 litres of engine oil a year.
Not accepted at Burnham: asbestos (go to Beaconsfield), any business or charity waste (Beaconsfield again), tree trunks and branches thicker than 20cm or longer than 2m, fireworks and other explosives, dead animals, large amounts of pet bedding, and storage heaters that contain asbestos.
Beaconsfield recycling centre: more space, takes asbestos
Address: A40 London Road, Lower Pyebushes, Beaconsfield, HP9 2XB. Open every day, 9am to 4pm in winter and 9am to 6pm in summer, bank holidays included apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Beaconsfield is the bigger site, with 11 unloading spaces against Burnham’s six, and it does three things Burnham cannot:
- Asbestos, with a Buckinghamshire asbestos permit (more below)
- Paid business and charity waste, Monday to Friday 9am–5pm, for registered waste carriers
- Larger trailers: trailers bigger than 1.8m by 1.2m (up to 2.4m by 1.8m) may only use Aylesbury, Amersham, Aston Clinton, Beaconsfield and High Wycombe. Burnham is not on that list
Its quietest times are Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Like Burnham, it is free for Buckinghamshire and Slough residents who bring proof of address.
Chalvey: the Slough option for car loads
Slough Borough Council lists three recycling centres for its residents: its own Chalvey site plus Buckinghamshire’s Burnham and Langley. With Langley shut, Chalvey (White Hart Road, off Spackmans Way, SL1 2SF) is the other free option for Slough households. It is also open to Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead residents. Our full Chalvey guide covers it in depth. The short version:
- Open every day: 9am–5pm in winter (1 October to 31 March), 9am–6pm in summer, last entry 15 minutes before closing
- No vans or pickups in the recycling centre, and a 1.7m height barrier. Slough residents in a van use the weighbridge on the same site instead, which is closed on Sundays
- Not accepting upholstered seating (sofas, armchairs, dining chairs, futons, bean bags and so on) because of persistent organic pollutants. The council points Slough residents to Burnham
- Not accepting textiles (clothing, shoes, mixed textiles) either. Burnham takes them, and charity shops take clean, reusable clothes
- Bring proof of address and photo ID
So if you live in Slough and have a car-load without a sofa in it, Chalvey is usually the shortest trip. If you have a van, a sofa or a bag of old clothes, Burnham is the better bet.
Who can use the Buckinghamshire tips for free?
Langley sits on the Slough border but is run by Buckinghamshire Council, so the catchment is confusing. This is how it works for the places that used it most:
| You live in | Your council | Burnham and Beaconsfield |
|---|---|---|
| Iver, Iver Heath, Richings Park, Denham, Gerrards Cross, Farnham Common, Stoke Poges | Buckinghamshire | Free with proof of address |
| Langley village, Colnbrook, Poyle, Cippenham, Chalvey, central Slough | Slough | Free: Slough residents are exempt from the non-resident fee |
| Datchet, Windsor, Eton, Maidenhead | Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead | Access fee every visit. Use Chalvey or the Royal Borough’s own sites instead |
| West Drayton, Yiewsley, Harmondsworth, Uxbridge | Hillingdon | Access fee every visit. Your free site is Harefield |
If you are not a Buckinghamshire or Slough resident, you can still use the Bucks sites, but you pay an access fee per visit, by card only (no cash). DIY waste is charged on top. These are the council’s fees, VAT included:
| Vehicle | Garden waste | Mixed recycling | General waste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small car (e.g. Fiesta, Corsa) | £28.80 | £33.40 | £37.40 |
| Medium car (e.g. Kuga, Sportage) | £65.60 | £75.50 | £99.20 |
| Large car, SUV or small van (e.g. Octavia, Caddy) | £124.80 | £145.10 | £236.40 |
| Large van (e.g. Transit, Sprinter) | £187.10 | £217.70 | £472.70 |
Landlords: your tenants’ rubbish is not household waste
Buckinghamshire’s access and acceptance policy classes waste from a rented-out property, cleared by or for the landlord, as commercial waste. It has to go through a commercial waste route and is charged. Free resident access covers your own home, not the flat you let out.
Vans, trailers and e-permits
This is where most wasted journeys happen. In a car, with or without a small trailer, Buckinghamshire needs no permit. In anything else, you need a free vehicle e-permit before you arrive:
| Vehicle | Permit? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Car, 4x4, SUV or MPV | No | With or without a trailer up to 1.2m × 0.9m |
| Car with a trailer bigger than 0.9m × 1.2m | Yes | Max 2.4m × 1.8m and 60cm high. Above 1.8m × 1.2m, Beaconsfield yes, Burnham no |
| Van, pickup, flatbed, or minibus with 8 to 11 seats | Yes | No more than four wheels. Bring hire documents if the van is hired |
| Tipper or tail-lift vehicle, more than 4 wheels, over 7.5 tonnes, tractor, horsebox | Not allowed | Staff will turn you away |
| On foot | Yes, a walk-in permit | You cannot park outside and walk in without one |
You apply through a Buckinghamshire Council customer account. If you last used the permit system before 16 September 2025, you need to create a new account first. The permit arrives by email as a QR code, which you show on your phone or on paper. A vehicle permit lasts 31 days and can be renewed for up to 90 days. If you are bringing DIY waste in a van, you need both a DIY permit and a vehicle permit.
DIY waste, rubble and asbestos
Renovation waste is not free household waste at the Bucks tips. A DIY permit gets you one free load of either two 50-litre bags or one large item up to 2m × 0.75m × 0.7m. It is valid for one visit within 7 days, and you can apply again after 7 days. Anything over the allowance, or brought without a permit, is charged. Some of the council’s prices:
| Item | Price each (VAT included) |
|---|---|
| Bricks, rubble, soil, cement or roof tiles (per 25-litre bag) | £4.20 |
| Fence panel, paving slab, shed panel, bath panel, sink | £4.20 |
| Bath and panel, toilet pan, cistern, kitchen unit, bidet | £8.30 |
| Kitchen worktop (door-sized, 2m × 1m) | £12.50 |
| Shower tray, shower screen, toilet pan with cistern and seat | £16.60 |
For Slough residents with a car that fits under its barrier, Chalvey’s DIY charges are lower on every item both councils list. A bag of rubble is £3.20 there. See our Chalvey guide for its full price list.
Asbestos: Beaconsfield, not Burnham
Langley was one of six Buckinghamshire sites that take asbestos. With it shut, the nearest is Beaconsfield. You need an asbestos permit, which is valid for a year and covers three visits. The site takes bonded asbestos only, stripped of wood, glass, plastic and metal, kept damp and double-wrapped in 1000-gauge polythene. The limit is four 2.4m × 0.9m sheets or three bin bags, charged at £5.80 per square metre. We cannot carry asbestos, so this one has to be a specialist or your own trip.
Do it yourself, or have it collected?
A free tip will always beat a paid collection for a car-load you can lift yourself. The closure changes the maths for bigger, heavier or awkward jobs:
| Your job | Doing it yourself this winter | Collected by Van Thats Quick |
|---|---|---|
| A boot-load of bags or garden waste | Free at Burnham, Beaconsfield or Chalvey. Go on a weekday morning | From £95. The tip is cheaper |
| A sofa or armchair (Slough resident) | Not accepted at Chalvey. Burnham takes furniture, but you have to get it there | Sofa disposal from £65 (armchair) or £105 (3-seater), carried out for you |
| A van-load from a clear-out | Free e-permit needed first. Only 6 bays at Burnham, and they are busy | Half a Luton van from £320, a full one from £495, loaded by a two-person crew |
| Bathroom or kitchen strip-out | DIY permit for one free load, then about £4–£17 an item | Quarter van (7 cu yd) from £195 |
| Not a Bucks or Slough resident, in a large van | Up to £472.70 per visit in access fees alone | A full Luton (22.7 cu yd) from £495, disposal included |
Or we’ll take it for you
Send us a photo and we will reply with a fixed price before we set off. Our two-person crew carries everything out from any room, garden or garage across Langley, Slough, Iver, Colnbrook and Burnham. You need no permit, you join no queue and you lift nothing. Collections start at £95.
Slough Borough Council also runs a bulky waste collection: £19 an item, up to five items, with a £54 minimum charge, and £29.70 each for up to two fridges or freezers. For three or more kerbside items it is good value. For one sofa it costs the same £54 as three.
Langley tip FAQs
Is Langley recycling centre open?
No. Buckinghamshire Council closed Langley Household Recycling Centre on Langley Park Road (SL3 6DD) from Wednesday 9 September 2026 for essential drainage works; the last day it was open was Tuesday 8 September. The council expects it to reopen before Easter 2027.
Why is Langley tip closed?
For drainage improvement works the council says are needed to keep the site legally compliant. The works are big enough that the site has to be completely emptied, so it cannot stay partly open, and tree works have to be finished before the main drainage work can start.
Where should I go instead of Langley tip?
Buckinghamshire Council names two alternatives: Burnham recycling centre on Crowpiece Lane (SL2 3TG), which has moved to seven-day opening for the duration, and Beaconsfield recycling centre on the A40 London Road (HP9 2XB). Slough residents can also use Chalvey on White Hart Road (SL1 2SF) in a car.
What are Burnham tip opening times while Langley is shut?
Burnham is open every day during the Langley closure. Winter hours (1 October to 31 March) are 9am to 4pm; summer hours (1 April to 30 September) are 9am to 6pm. It is open on bank holidays except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Can Slough residents use Burnham and Beaconsfield for free?
Yes. Buckinghamshire Council says Slough residents do not need to pay its non-Buckinghamshire resident access fee. Bring proof of address, and get the same free e-permits a Buckinghamshire resident would need for a van or for DIY waste.
Do I need a permit to take a van to Burnham?
Yes. A van, pickup, minibus with 8 to 11 seats, flatbed or a trailer bigger than 0.9m by 1.2m needs a free Buckinghamshire vehicle e-permit, applied for in advance through a council customer account. It is emailed as a QR code, lasts 31 days and can be renewed for up to 90 days. Tippers and tail-lift vehicles are not allowed at all.
Where can I take asbestos now Langley is closed?
Burnham does not take asbestos. The nearest Buckinghamshire site that does is Beaconsfield, with an asbestos permit: bonded asbestos only, double-wrapped, up to four 2.4m by 0.9m sheets or three bin bags, charged at £5.80 per square metre. The permit lasts a year and covers three visits.
When will Langley recycling centre reopen?
Buckinghamshire Council says before Easter 2027; Slough Borough Council’s pages say spring 2027. No firm date has been published, so check the council’s Langley page before you travel.
Langley shut? We collect the same day
Fixed-price rubbish collection across Langley, Slough, Iver, Colnbrook and Burnham: van-loads, furniture and DIY waste, loaded by a two-person crew. From £95.