Alkerton and Ardley Fields open 8am to 5pm daily and every visit must be booked. They shut at 3pm on Christmas Eve and close on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Banbury’s tip is Alkerton recycling centre on Stratford Road, open 8am to 5pm every day of the week. You cannot just turn up: every visit has to be booked, and the last car is let in at 4.55pm. Bicester’s is Ardley Fields, on the same hours and the same rules.
The quick answer
- Open 8am to 5pm, Monday to Sunday, at both Alkerton (OX15 6HZ) and Ardley Fields (OX27 7PH). Last entry 4.55pm.
- Book before every visit. Slots open two weeks ahead and can be taken up to 30 minutes before you arrive.
- Christmas: closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and shut early at 3pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
The two centres
Both are run by Oxfordshire County Council, not Cherwell District Council.
| Centre | Address | Hours | Asbestos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alkerton | Stratford Road, Alkerton, near Banbury, OX15 6HZ | 8am to 5pm, every day | Not accepted |
| Ardley Fields | Brackley Road, Ardley, OX27 7PH | 8am to 5pm, every day | Accepted, booked 48 hours ahead |
Neither centre takes waste from businesses or commercial premises.
Christmas and New Year hours
The county council’s pages for both centres give the same festive rule: normal hours on bank holidays, except for three closed days and two early finishes.
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Thursday 24 December, Christmas Eve | 8am to 3pm |
| Friday 25 December, Christmas Day | Closed |
| Boxing Day | Closed |
| Thursday 31 December, New Year's Eve | 8am to 3pm |
| Friday 1 January 2027, New Year's Day | Closed |
One thing is unclear. This year Boxing Day is Saturday 26 December and its bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. The council’s pages say “Boxing Day” without saying which of the two it means. The booking system will show which days have slots, so check it before you load the car on either day.
Slots for the days between Christmas and New Year open two weeks ahead, so the first of them can be booked from mid-December.
How booking works
The council’s booking page sets out the rules:
- You can book up to two weeks ahead, or as late as 30 minutes before your visit if a slot is free.
- You do not need an account, but you do need an email address.
- You can change or cancel a booking up to 30 minutes before the slot, using the links in the confirmation email.
- Oxfordshire residents book free. People from outside Oxfordshire pay £15 per booking.
That last point matters on this side of the county. Alkerton sits close to the Warwickshire border, and households with OX15 and OX17 postcodes that fall in Stratford-on-Avon or West Northamptonshire count as non-residents. Non-residents also cannot use the free DIY allowance, book an asbestos visit or bring a vehicle that needs a permit.
Rules that catch people out
From the council’s guide to visiting:
- Sort your waste before you arrive. Staff will ask you to separate mixed loads on site.
- No pedestrians. You cannot walk in. Bicycles, and bicycle trailers, are allowed.
- Fridges and freezers are restricted. Slots for them open only one week ahead, and each household is limited to one visit every three months with two units at most.
The fridge rule comes from a national shortage of treatment capacity. We have covered the local effect in Cherwell’s suspended fridge freezer collections.
DIY waste: what is free and what costs
The county’s DIY waste charges give each household one free disposal every seven days, claimed when you book. It covers either two 50-litre rubble bags (or five 20-litre bags), or one bulky or fitted item no larger than 2000mm by 750mm by 700mm.
| Item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Extra DIY waste, per 20-litre bag or equivalent | £2.50 |
| Bathroom fittings, flooring, kitchen units, wooden items | £2.50 each |
| Car, motorcycle or van tyre (four at most) | £7.50 each |
| Plasterboard, per door-sized sheet | £11.80 |
| Asbestos, per 1m by 1m sheet (four at most, Ardley only) | £5.70 |
| Metal items, and up to three plain pallets | Free |
A part-filled bag is charged as a full one. The sites do not take cash. Payment is contactless only, including Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.
Vans, pickups and trailers
Vans, pickups, minibuses with up to nine seats, emptied camper vans and any vehicle towing a trailer need a free van and trailer permit. A permit covers 10 visits in 12 months, at any Oxfordshire centre.
Some vehicles are not allowed in at all. The list includes:
- Anything sign-written or carrying business branding
- Vehicles longer than 5.8m, wider than 2.5m, or over 3.5 tonnes loaded
- Trailers longer than 2.4m, and vans towing any trailer
- Box vans, caged vans, tippers and horseboxes
Hours are due to shrink, but not this winter
In November 2025 the county council approved shorter hours: 9am to 5pm in summer, 9am to 4pm in winter, and full closures on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. The council said those changes start in winter 2027. Until then the centres stay on 8am to 5pm.
Still to be confirmed
- Which day counts as Boxing Day for the closure: Saturday 26 or Monday 28 December. We will check the booking system when December slots open.
- Any change to festive hours. The county has not published a separate Christmas 2026 notice.
For kerbside changes, see Banbury Christmas bin collections and your normal Banbury bin collection days. If the trip takes you through town, check the current roadworks and parking in Banbury.
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