Capstone, Cuxton and Hoath Way open 8am to 4.15pm, 9am to 3.45pm Sundays. Every visit must be booked, and the late Monday closing ends on 30 September.

Medway has three household waste and recycling centres, at Capstone, Cuxton and Hoath Way in Gillingham, and all three keep the same hours: 8am to 4.15pm Monday to Saturday and 9am to 3.45pm on Sundays and bank holidays. You cannot turn up without a booking, and you need to bring proof that you live in Medway.

The quick answer

  • Opening times: Monday to Saturday 8am to 4.15pm; Sundays and bank holidays 9am to 3.45pm. Capstone and Cuxton stay open until 5.45pm on Mondays from 1 April to 30 September, so Monday 28 September is the last late opening of 2026.
  • Book every visit. Cars can book up to 7 days ahead and at least 4 hours before. There is no limit on the number of bookings, but each booking is one trip.
  • Christmas: last year all three sites closed only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The 2026 festive hours have not been published yet.

The three sites

Medway household waste and recycling centres, checked 25 September 2026
SiteAddressMonday to SaturdaySundays and bank holidaysVans
CapstoneShawstead Road, Capstone, ME7 3JL8am to 4.15pm (Mondays to 5.45pm, 1 April to 30 September)9am to 3.45pmSmall private vans, Wednesdays and Saturdays, by appointment
CuxtonSundridge Hill, Cuxton, Rochester, ME2 1LF8am to 4.15pm (Mondays to 5.45pm, 1 April to 30 September)9am to 3.45pmSmall private vans, Wednesdays and Saturdays, by appointment
Hoath WayAmbley Road, Gillingham, ME8 0QH8am to 4.15pm9am to 3.45pmNo vans at all

The hours and addresses are from the council’s own pages for Capstone, Cuxton and Hoath Way.

Booking slots run hourly from 8am, with the last slot starting at 3.01pm and ending at 4pm. The council says the busiest times are 10am to noon on weekdays and 11am to 1pm at weekends and on bank holidays.

How booking works

Every visit has to be booked through the council’s HWRC booking page. The rules it sets out:

  • Only Medway council tax payers can book. If you live in Medway and want to use a Kent County Council tip instead, Kent charges you £10.
  • Cars: book a slot over the next 7 days, at least 4 hours in advance.
  • Small private vans: book over the next 9 days, at least 4 days in advance, for Capstone or Cuxton only.
  • One trip per booking. If you come back within the same slot, or arrive without a booking, you will be turned away.
  • Bring proof of address: your driving licence, or a council tax bill, gas or electricity bill or TV licence letter. Staff check that the address and postcode match the booking.
  • Phone bookings on 01634 333 333, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, are only for people with no email address or internet access, with a maximum of two visits per call.

Business waste, including waste from landlords, is not accepted at any of the three sites.

Hoath Way takes less than the other two

Hoath Way is the smallest site. The council’s page says it does not accept mattresses, car tyres or plasterboard; for those, book Capstone. It also turns away all vans. Capstone is the only one of the three that lists car, motorbike, quad bike and bicycle tyres.

Vans and trailers

A car here means a privately owned passenger vehicle under 2 metres tall with nine seats or fewer. Trailers are allowed at all three sites if they are no wider than the towing car, no longer than 6 feet 8 inches and under 35 cubic feet, and not overfilled.

At Capstone and Cuxton, small private vans can come in by appointment on Wednesdays and Saturdays only. The van has to fit under the 2 metre barrier, have a single wheelbase and weigh under 2 tonnes with its load. Sign-written vans, transit vans, single cab pick-ups, Luton box vans, flatbeds and drop-siders, and any van towing a trailer are all refused.

Cuxton can close without warning

Cuxton sits on the A228 at Sundridge Hill. The council says that when the queue to get in backs up onto the A228, the site closes until it clears, and you should use Capstone or Hoath Way instead. At the time of writing the council’s booking page also warns of delays getting to Capstone because of the traffic lights at the North Dane Way and Princes Avenue roundabout, and says bookings delayed beyond their slot will be honoured until the site closes. Our Medway roadworks page tracks the works on the approach roads.

The tip at Christmas

The council has not yet published its 2026 festive hours. Last year it closed all three sites on Thursday 25 December, Friday 26 December and Thursday 1 January, and kept them open on every other day on the usual booking system (Medway Council, archived January 2026). If it follows the same pattern this year, the likely closures are Christmas Day, Friday 25 December, and New Year’s Day, Friday 1 January 2027, with Boxing Day falling on a Saturday. That is our reading of the pattern, not a council announcement. The festive page went up on 1 December last year, and this page will carry the confirmed dates. Kerbside collections change over the same fortnight: see our Christmas bin collections page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I go to the tip in Medway without booking?

No. The council requires a booking for every visit to Capstone, Cuxton and Hoath Way, and you will be turned away without one.

What time does Capstone tip close?

4.15pm Monday to Saturday and 3.45pm on Sundays and bank holidays. On Mondays until 30 September it stays open until 5.45pm.

Can I take a van to Hoath Way?

No. Vans are not permitted at Hoath Way. Small private vans can use Capstone or Cuxton on Wednesdays and Saturdays by appointment.

Can I take a mattress to the tip in Gillingham?

Not to Hoath Way, which does not take mattresses, tyres or plasterboard. Book Capstone or Cuxton instead.

Sources