Swadlincote Rubbish And Recycling Tip At Newhall Could Re-open Next Month

Swadlincote's rubbish tip and recycling centre at Newhall could reopen next month.

This follows Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick's announcement he is calling on councils to "plan the organised opening" of household waste recycling centres, provided safe social distancing can be maintained.

The South Derbyshire tip at Park Road in Newhall, run by Derbyshire County Council, is likely to be included.

A spokesman for Derbyshire County Council said on Wednesday that Derbyshire will re-open Household Waste Recycling Centres as soon as possible.

Councillor Simon Spencer, Derbyshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, said: "We are doing all we can to get our Household Waste Recycling Centres re-open as soon as we can, but this is going to take a few weeks rather than a few days.

"I know that many people would like to see our centres open and I'd like to thank them for their patience and understanding.

"Before we re-open we need to make sure that we consider all of the practicalities, like putting social distancing measures in place, and make sure that our contractors can deal with the waste that people bring into us, many of whom have been closed since lockdown started.

"We're pulling all the stops out to make this happen as quickly as possible, and as soon as we can confirm a date we will let people know..

Councillor Spencer added: "We will also need to work with the Police as we will need their agreement for plans to manage the traffic around many of our sites, especially those next to major roads.

"And we need the Government to make it clear that visiting a site is classed as an essential journey.

"We'll also be continuing our discussions with our colleagues in the districts and boroughs to make sure that before we do re-open that they are on top of all the kerbside collections so that there should no need to bring excess normal domestic waste to our centres.

"We are also consulting with our neighbouring County Councils through the County Council Network to see if we can all open on the same date which will avoid people from one area visiting another."

It comes amid concerns that rubbish is piling up in people's homes.

Recycling centres across the country were shut down last month as part of the Government's social distancing rules.

"Our bin men and women have done a fantastic job maintaining the vast majority of collections," Mr Jenrick told MPs.

"The Government published advice to councils on how to ensure the safety of refuse collections on April 7.

"I can announce that I am asking councils to plan the organised opening of household waste collection sites."

Mr Jenrick said sites should reopen within weeks, adding that officials would release updated guidance for councils to ensure their safe operation.

The closures, coupled with the suspension of bulky waste collection, have led to a spike in fly-tipping.

Charities and councils have been pleading with residents not to embark on major clear outs to try and control the situation, but fears are mounting that keeping excess or hazardous waste in the home could endanger public health.