Owners of vans and trailers will need permits to use Northamptonshire rubbish dumps

It is hoped the move, which will save Northamptonshire County Council about £200,000 a year, will deter traders - who should not use household waste centres - while allowing people who are getting rid of domestic waste a reasonable number of chances to do so.

Councillor Ian Morris, cabinet member for the environment, said: “This is a simple way of making sure that we can manage the use of our household waste recycling centres to make sure that it is only domestic waste which is disposed of.

“Not only does the unauthorised disposal of trade waste at the sites bring additional cost to the council but it can bring additional strain on the service and contribute to increased congestion at the sites."

Another advantage to Northamptonshire taking on the scheme is that nearby counties such as Bedfordshire are limiting trips to the tip in a similar way. If Northamptonshire did not follow suit, then traders may be tempted to visit from over the border.

Councillor Morris said: “Many other waste disposal authorities nationally have already introduced similar schemes, with great success, so it makes sense that we do likewise.”

The e-permit scheme, which is free of charge will limit to just six the amount of times people can use commercial-type vehicles or cars towing trailers to bring their household waste to the centres in a year.

Household waste recycling centres (HWRC) are only licensed to accept domestic waste and unlawful trade disposal at the sites costs the council and the residents of Northamptonshire.

Small-scale traders currently have four designated sites across the county where they can dispose of their commercial waste legally, which are Kettering, Ecton Lane, Sixfields and Rushden.

People can apply for a permit on the county council’s website www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/hwrc