Freemen's Common tip, Leicester: opening times and rules

Freemen's Common is Leicester City Council's second household recycling centre. It's for cars, not vans, but it's the city tip for asbestos and chemicals, which vans can bring. Checked against the council's own pages on 27 October 2026.

Where it is

Freemen's Common is Leicester's other city tip, just south of the city centre. It's handy for homes in the south and west of the city. If you've got a van or a big trailer full of normal household waste, you'll need to go to Gypsum Close instead, with a permit.

Opening hours

Winter hours start on 1 November, so from then the site closes at 6pm.

Who can get in

• Allowed: cars, similar vehicles and bicycles
• Not allowed: vans, pick-ups and trailers over 1.4m for normal waste, and people on foot
• The exception: the council says vans can use Freemen's Common to drop off asbestos or chemicals, with no permit needed for that. Call 0116 254 3568 first for asbestos
• No permit is needed for a car, and the council doesn't ask you to book

That means if you've hired or borrowed a van for a normal clear-out, Freemen's Common won't let you in. You'd need a temporary permit for Gypsum Close, or a rubbish removal company that brings its own van.

What you can take

• Furniture, wood (including chipboard and MDF) and metal
• Fridges, freezers, white goods and other electrical items
• Garden waste
• Cardboard, paper, glass, cans, plastic bottles and mixed recycling
• Clothes, shoes, books and bikes
• Paint, cooking oil, used engine oil, fluorescent tubes, and car and household batteries
• Empty gas bottles
• Soil and hardcore, up to six 25kg bags per visit

Asbestos and chemicals

Freemen's Common is the only Leicester city tip that takes these:

• Asbestos: cement-bonded only, double-wrapped in plastic, and no more than 8 sheets per visit. Call 0116 254 3568 before you go, as it's only accepted if the container has space
• Household and garden chemicals

If you're not sure whether something contains asbestos, don't break it up. Get advice from a specialist asbestos company. Normal waste collection companies won't take it.

When the tip isn't the answer

A lot of people search for the tip and then realise it won't work for them. A licensed local company can load everything and take it away instead.

Leicester City Council bulky waste collection

If you live in Leicester city, the council will collect large household items from outside your home:

• Free once every two months, for up to five items
• £22 for any extra collection, up to five items
• Items must be outside by 7am. The crew won't go into your home, shed or garage, and won't take anything apart
• They won't take building waste, garden waste, items with glass or mirrors, sheds, tyres or pianos
• Once booked, a collection can't be cancelled, changed or refunded

If you can carry the items outside yourself and can wait for a slot, it's good value. If the item is upstairs, needs dismantling, or you need it gone quickly, a private collection is easier.