Recycling centres to reopen in Longridge, Carnforth and Haslingden

Lancashire County Council will be reopening recycling centres at Longridge, Carnforth and Haslingden next week.
Longridge Recycling Centre will reopen on Thursday, June 4Longridge Recycling Centre will reopen on Thursday, June 4
Longridge Recycling Centre will reopen on Thursday, June 4

The recycling centres will reopen on Thursday, June 4, with a booking system and restrictions in place to manage demand and ensure social distancing.

Twelve of the 16 facilities in the county had already begun to accept waste again from May 15 after being closed at the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

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It leaves the Garstang Community Recycling and Reuse Centre as the only facility to remain closed, with no date currently set for its reopening.

Waste & Recycling Centres across Lancashire had been closed since the end of March due to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown restrictionsWaste & Recycling Centres across Lancashire had been closed since the end of March due to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown restrictions
Waste & Recycling Centres across Lancashire had been closed since the end of March due to the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown restrictions

The council is advising that the number of appointments available will be limited at these smaller sites and people may find it easier to book a visit to one of the larger centres.

County Councillor Albert Atkinson, cabinet member for technical services, rural affairs, and waste management, said: "I'm very pleased that the challenging task of reopening our recycling centres has gone very well and that we're now in a position to reopen these further sites.

"I'd like to remind people that they will operate along the same lines, and that everyone must book before visiting and follow the restrictions on how they visit and the type of waste they can bring.

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"Due to the challenges of operating in a very different way than we are used to, we initially focused on reopening a slightly reduced network of sites, with these facilities staying closed.

"These sites are among the quietest in terms of visitor numbers, and present specific challenges in terms of operating safely while maintaining social distancing due to issues to do with their size, location, and the way they operate.

"With the other centres now open we're reassured that the new way of operating is working well, and we've been able to apply what we've learned to safely reopen these three sites.

"I'm very grateful for the patience and cooperation people have shown since we reopened our recycling centres, and I'd ask people to understand that the number of appointments we can offer at these smaller sites will be more limited. It will depend on the level of demand we get, but if people need to urgently dispose of some excess waste they may find it easier to book at another site."

How does it work?

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People can now go online or call the council's customer service centre to book an appointment to visit the recycling centres at Carnforth, Longridge and Haslingden.

People will be given a 30 minute window in which to visit, with a limited number of appointments available to allow staff to check people's details on arrival and manage their movement around the site and ensure social distancing.

Due to the need to limit the number of visitors per day, people are asked to help manage demand by only booking a visit if they have an essential need to dispose of some excess waste.

There are also restrictions on how people use the sites

• People will be asked to only bring one type of waste per visit. Visitors will not be able to walk freely around the site as they could previously. This is because the sites have been reconfigured to ensure social distancing, and visitors will be asked to drive up to the particular skip they need.

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• People can only visit by car, with a complete ban on the use of all trailers and vans. Access to the sites will be controlled using vehicle registration numbers.

• People cannot bring construction and demolition waste, also known as inert waste, and plaster, plasterboard or asbestos, and the usual permit system allowing people to bring limited amounts of this waste will not be operating.

• People will need to carry their waste from their car to the skip as staff will not be able to help.

• People will be limited to one visit per calendar week, and cannot book multiple visits by choosing different sites.

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• People must not visit if they have any symptoms of coronavirus or should be self-isolating.

The council said it will be enforcing a zero tolerance approach to any abuse or aggression towards staff.

Councils across the UK closed Household Waste Recycling Centres at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in line with government guidance, with trips to recycling sites not considered essential journeys under lockdown regulations.