Highbridge Recycling Centre coped well with an influx of visitors on Monday (11th May) when it re-opened for the first time since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) re-opened the centre on the Isleport Business Park along with ten other Somerset recycling centres, with extra safety restrictions.
While there were queues at several times during the day, the Highbridge centre did not see the continuous chaotic scenes in other parts of the country. Traffic controls were in place at the entrance, as pictured here. Over 20 vehicles queued up at the opening.
Nick Cater, spokesman for SWP, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Queues and delays were inevitable, but thanks to the excellent work of Highbridge Recycling Centre staff and the careful observation of all the new guidance and restrictions by local people, the first day of the new temporary system to reopen recycling sites worked very well.”
“It is important that site visits should only take place if waste cannot be stored safely at home without risking harm or ill-health, or harm to public health and amenity. If it is not an essential journey, please wait until Highbridge Recycling Centre is back to its usual busy, efficient operation.”
To ensure social distancing and to protect public and staff, there are restrictions in place to limit numbers coming into the recycling sites and the range of materials sites it will accept.
SWP is warning would-be visitors to expect queues and long waits as access is limited to ‘one in, one out’ and the number of unloading bays will be reduced. Measures to control traffic will be in place.
The Somerset recycling sites that re-opened on 11th May are: Highbridge, Bridgwater (Saltlands), Chard, Dulverton, Frome, Priorswood (Taunton), Street, Wellington (Poole), Wells (Dulcote), Williton and Yeovil.
New Highbridge recycling centre opening hours
Initially, the sites are operating temporary additional opening hours of:
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 9am to 6pm
- Thursday: All closed
- Saturday and Sunday: 9am to 4pm
Number plate restrictions will be in force
An odd and even vehicle number plate system will be used to control numbers. You can only visit on certain days depending on your number plate:
- Odd numbers on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday
- Even numbers on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday
- All 11 sites will be closed on Thursdays
Restrictions on visitor numbers, gloves and vehicles
Other restrictions will be:
- A maximum of two people per household will be permitted
- Gloves to be worn while outside vehicles
- No trailers or large vans (3.5 tonne or heavier) will have access
Items accepted at Highbridge recycling centre
Temporary restrictions also apply to materials being accepted, again to ensure social distancing. To start with, only the following are being accepted:
- Rubbish – material you would usually put in your black rubbish bin, excess black bags not taken by kerbside collections, and bulky items like furniture
- Green waste – garden waste such as grass cuttings, leaves, hedge trimmings
- Large household electrical items – white goods, cookers TVs etc
- Hazardous household chemicals such as pesticides, weed killers & insecticides
Items NOT accepted at Highbridge recycling centre
Any items you would usually pay to have disposed of will not be accepted – including tyres, gas bottles, soil & hardcore, vehicle parts, commercial waste, plasterboard and Asbestos.
Access to the normal recycling banks will not be possible, so unless it’s absolutely essential then please don’t bring cardboard, food and drink cans, paper, food waste, plastic bottles, glass bottles and jars.
If you want to recycle this material (along with waste wood, metal, plastic pots tubs and trays, scrap metal, TetraPaks and small electricals) please use the kerbside collections or hold on to them until the sites return to normal.
Visitors asked to be patient in long queues
Mickey Green, Managing Director of SWP, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “The closure has been frustrating and we’ve wanted to see sites open as much as anyone, but we have to do it in a way which keeps people safe and have only been able to open them up now that Government has finally clarified which journeys are deemed essential. The changes we’ve put in place are there to protect everyone.”
“The sites are likely to be very busy with long queues. Any trip will take much longer than usual, strict social distancing will need to be followed and we will not tolerate any abusive behaviour. These temporary arrangements will be reviewed constantly with the aim of getting sites back to accepting all materials as soon as it’s practically possible, but it will take time.”
Garden waste collections restart in Burnham area
Garden Waste collections were suspended as staffing numbers were hit and collections of rubbish, recycling, food and clinical waste prioritised. They also restarted on Monday May 11th, supported by temporary staff and vehicles. Collection days will have changed and subscribers are urged to check their renewal letter to find their new collection date, or check online here.
Crews will not be collecting material that is not in a green bin or an SWP pre-paid sack, or from any households which have not subscribed to this year’s service. They will not collect bins that are overfull or too heavy to lift – so please dispose of it through collections gradually (if necessary taking some material out and waiting for the next collection or take it to a recycling centre if disposing of it is essential).
Subscriptions are being extended until mid-May 2021 so that subscribers do not lose out financially as a result of the disruption.
