Talks over reopening Shropshire recycling centres

The centres, in Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Whitchurch, Craven Arms and Bridgnorth, closed on March 24 after the government’s coronavirus lockdown was imposed.

Almost all similar sites across the country have also remained shut for the last month, leading to fears over increased fly-tipping and bonfires.

But Shropshire Council announced on Tuesday it is in talks with its contractor Veolia, which operates the centres, over how to approach the reopening of the sites.

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Telford & Wrekin Council said it is awaiting further clarity from the government on the issue after writing to Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government.

It comes after Mr Jenrick announced on Tuesday that it was time to begin reopening recycling centres “over the coming weeks”.

He made the announcement in the House of Commons during a local government questions session.

Mr Jenrick said: “Our bin men and women have done a fantastic job maintaining the vast majority of collections. The government published advice on how to ensure the safety of collections on April 7.

“And today I’m announcing that I’m asking councils to plan the organised reopening of household waste collection sites.

“I expect this to happen over the coming weeks and will be publishing amended guidance shortly.”

Agreed

A Shropshire Council spokesman said: “In line with the secretary of state’s latest announcement, we are considering the organised reopening of our household recycling centres.

“We’re currently in discussions with our contractor Veolia and an announcement will be made once plans are agreed and confirmed.

“The health and safety of site staff and visitors remains our top priority and will be a key consideration in these discussions.”

Telford & Wrekin Council Leader Shaun Davies said: “We’re pleased the Government has listened to our request last week, but there is still no clear guidance from them on how this should be managed. We are ahead of the curve and have a plan that we hope to finalise soon.

“The health and safety of site staff and visitors remains our top priority and are key consideration in our discussions with Veolia. Having clearer guidance from the Government would have helped these discussions.”

Councillor Lee Carter cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, added: “As the Government is now asking councils to reopen HRCs, we will need more staff on site and traffic management to ensure it can happen safely for everyone concerned.

“While I am sure HRC sites opening will be welcomed by many people, it’s likely to mean more costs to local councils, so the Government must be clear if they will help councils to meet any additional costs.

“We also need reassurance that companies that process recycled waste from council tips are ready to reopen to accept the significant quantities of waste and recycling that will have built up during the lockdown.”

“As soon as we have finalised the details of when we will be opening our two sites, we will let residents know. When we do reopen, government rules on essential journeys only and two metre distancing will apply to HRCs, so it won’t be “business as usual”, and anyone using these is likely to face queues.

“There will be rules and restrictions in place that people will need to know about and we will share these soon as possible."