REDDITCH Recycling Centre is to re-open on Monday, May 11.
It comes after mounting pressure from local MP Rachel Maclean and Borough Council Leader Councillor Matt Dormer..
In all Worcestershire County Council is re-opening seven of its 11 Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) for essential use only.
To ensure everyone stays safe government guidance will be followed on social distancing and those who are self-isolating or are themselves or anyone in their household, showing coronavirus symptoms must not visit the centre.
Full details of the restrictions can be found on the Let’s Waste Less website: http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/LetsWasteLessAndRecycle
These include limiting the number of vehicles permitted to the site at any time.
To ensure the two metre rule is adhered to, access to each skip will be limited to one person at a time and staff will be unable to help unload waste.
The government’s view is the journeys to Household Recycling Centres must only be undertaken if your waste or recycling cannot be stored at home without causing risk of injury, health or harm, and cannot be disposed of safely by other means.
The move comes after repeated calls from Coun Dormer for the Crossgates Road Recycling Centre in Redditch to re-open.
“It’s about time,” he said.
“Flytipping is an issue, as are garden bonfires which is totally irresponsible given the effect they have on people’s breathing.
“The closure has also been encouraging illegal waste collection. There are certain unlicenced individuals going around offering to collect waste for a price and then flytipping it – and it has got to stop.”
However he acknowledged the recycling centre in Redditch on Crossgates Road could easily get congested once it re-opens.
“People have got to be sensible and the whole thing has to be managed properly.
“If everyone goes there the moment it opens the centre will get bogged down with waste and the queues will be horrendous.
“Therefore it has to be managed properly and for people to not all rush there at once.”
The re-opening follows a letter sent by Redditch MP Rachel Maclean to Coun Simon Geraghty, the Leader of Worcestershire County Council, asking for the Redditch recycling centre to re-open.
In it she says: “I have received reports from my constituents that they have seen an increase in flytipping during this lockdown which is very concerning.
We are seeing councils across the country re-opening their household waste and recycling sites by adhering to strict social distancing guidelines.
“Therefore I strongly believe the re-opening of sites should happen.”
