Tips in Cumbria are to re-open next week, including the one at Flusco which is used by people living in Keswick and the North Lakes.
All 14 Cumbria household waste recycling centres run by the county council have been closed since the Government introduced lockdown measures because of coronavirus in March, causing problems at home for many people.
They will re-open on Tuesday 12th May – with restrictions in line with government guidance issued this week – following an agreement with site operators Renewi Cumbria Ltd and Cumbria Waste Management.
Strict two-metre social distancing rules will apply for visitors and staff at the sites which will initially offer a restricted service only for waste that could not be stored safely at home “without causing risk of injury, health or harm” or disposed of through other official collection services. This excludes asbestos.
Cllr Celia Tibble, the county council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “Our district council colleagues have done a great job in continuing to operate their waste collection services throughout this difficult time but we know how much the household recycling centres have been missed and our officers have been working really hard to get them to be able to safely re-open at the earliest possibility.
“However, we would ask that residents only attend the sites for essential visits where they cannot safely store their extra recycling and waste at home and to be prepared to wait patiently, especially in the first few days of opening whilst the staff and the public become accustomed to the new way of working. The health and safety of both staff and our residents is our absolute priority and I’d like to thank you for your patience and resilience throughout these recent unprecedented times.”
All tips have undergone inspections to ensure they can operate in line with Public Health England guidelines. Only one person should attend but if another is required, they must be from the same household. Site workers will not be permitted to help carry people’s waste. No vans, trailers, commercial vehicles or pedestrians will be allowed on site.
If any household has had Covid-19 symptoms, its waste should be left for 72 hours before being brought to site doubled bagged. No one should attend the site if they are shielding and/or self-isolating due to possible Covid-19 symptoms.
For full details including opening hours, go to Cumbria County Council website.
Meanwhile, Allerdale Borough Council will continue to make waste and recycling bin collections from affected homes and businesses as scheduled this Friday (8th May) despite it being a bank holiday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Garden waste collections in the borough will restart on Monday 11th May. Visit Allerdale.gov..uk to check when your collection is due.