Councils still waiting for green light to re-open recycling centres

People with piles of rubbish they need to get rid of will have to wait a little while longer until they can take it to their local tip.
County recycling centres, like this one in Mansfield, are remaining closed for the time being. Photo: Anne ShelleyCounty recycling centres, like this one in Mansfield, are remaining closed for the time being. Photo: Anne Shelley
County recycling centres, like this one in Mansfield, are remaining closed for the time being. Photo: Anne Shelley

The Government announced this week that it would be instructing all councils to reopen tips – also known as household waste recycling centres – ‘in the coming weeks’.

However there are no exact dates yet for when the 12 tips in Nottinghamshire, and the one in the city, will reopen.

There are also no details yet on how they will reopen, given social distancing will be a requirement.

There have been suggestions that access could be granted on an appointment system with slots booked online to help prevent potential overcrowding or large numbers turning up on the first day they reopen.

The Government said it recognises there was an increase in the risk of harm from fly tipping if the centres remain closed.

Derek Higton, service director for place and communities at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “In light of the announcement by Robert Jenrick, MP – in which he told the House of Commons that he is keen for house waste recycling centres to open in the coming weeks and will be issuing appropriate guidance – we will continue to work on our plan to allow the safe reopening of our sites, and will ensure it complies with the promised new guidance as and when that is released.

“We will of course keep residents up to date with our plans.

“As we’ve stressed before we would urge residents in advance of any reopening of the sites to safely store their household waste at home if necessary and compost garden waste if at all possible.”

Coun Sally Longford, Nottingham City Council’s deputy leader, added: “Along with all councils, we followed Government guidelines when closing our household waste and recycling centre, as part of wider efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19, and we will need to wait for further guidance from Government before reopening it.

“We have been keeping the situation under constant review, in dialogue with colleagues from neighbouring councils.

“Once we have clarity from the Government on how our site can resume operations safely, we will be happy to re-open it and we can assure residents that we aim to restore other suspended waste services as soon as we can do so safely.

“In the meantime, we would remind residents to safely store waste that can’t be included in their usual bin collections at home, and to compost any garden waste rather than burning it.”