Rutland County Council is preparing to reopen North Luffenham Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) on Tuesday May 19.

This follows the UK government changing its guidance on the closure of recycling centres, encouring councils across the country to re-open such facilities.

These sites can now reopen only for bulk waste that cannot be stored safely at home or disposed of through other legitimate routes.

Rutland Council says staffing constraints mean it is not possible to reopen both of Rutland's HWRCs at this time.

North Luffenham has been chosen because it is larger than its sister site at Cottesmore.

The council has also taken advice from Leicestershire Police regarding the potential for queueing traffic on the B668 between Cottesmore and Burley.

North Luffenham HWRC will open six days a week (Tuesday to Sunday), from 10.00am to 4.00pm.

Although the site is reopening, it will not be a return to normal service as a number of special measures are needed to maintain social distancing and keep people safe. These measures include:

· A maximum of four vehicles unloading on-site at a time, with no more than two persons per vehicle

· Visitors must observe social distancing and stay two metres away from each other and site staff at all times

· The site will close for 15 minutes at 12.00pm, 2.00pm and 4.00pm each day so that it can be cleaned

· No trailers will be accepted on-site because of the need to move vehicles in and out as quickly as possible

· Visitors are asked to pre-sort their waste and separate out materials like metal, wood and plastics before traveling to the site

Staff at the site will provide instructions but cannot help to unload or put waste items into containers.

To help manage congestion during opening hours, Rutland County Council is temporarily closing Glebe Road and Willoughby Road to through traffic, so that these routes can be used exclusively by vehicles accessing and leaving the site. The closure will be in place between 8am and 6pm, Tuesday to Sunday, from Pilton Crossroads to the village of Morcott.

Between these times, access to North Luffenham HWRC and properties on Glebe Road will be from the direction of Pilton Crossroads only.

Councillor Gordon Brown, Cabinet Member for Waste and the Environment,l, said: "We know that people are eager to see the recycling sites back open. These sites have been closed in line with government guidance and to make sure we have enough staff to carry out our weekly grey, green and black bin collections.

"We are now working towards reopening North Luffenham HWRC but only for waste that cannot be stored safely at home. Wherever possible, please hold on to any bulk waste for a few more weeks. Our Bulky Waste Collection Service is also back up and running.

"When the site does reopen on 19 May, I hope residents will understand that it won't be a return to normal service. COVID-19 is still a threat and we need to keep everyone safe. This means changing the way we operate and restricting the number of people on-site to maintain social distancing.

"Please be prepared to queue. Limiting the number of vehicles on-site to allow for social distancing means there will be delays getting in. You can help by pre-sorting materials before you travel to the site and avoiding bringing excessive amounts of waste. This will allow us to get people in and out as quickly as possible and help reduce queue times for others."

North Luffenham HWRC will close at 4.00pm each day. Vehicles that began queuing prior to 4.00pm will be able to access the site.

Further information and guidance around the reopening of North Luffenham HWRC can be found online . This includes tips on how to manage your household waste and recycling while COVID-19 restrictions remain in place.

Rutland County Council has also increased the availability of its bulky waste collection service, which is currently running five days a week until 17 May to provide bulk waste collection from people's homes. For more information, please go to this website.

Notes

About North Luffenham HWRC

Only people who live in Rutland and have registered their vehicle through the Council's website can use Rutland's household waste and recycling centres.

North Luffenham HWRC is located just off Glebe Road, half way between the villages of North Luffenham and Morcott.

The following items and materials are currently being accepted at North Luffenham HWRC:

Non-recyclable household waste

Cardboard

Scrap metal

Hard plastics

Fridges and freezers