Marlborough Recycling Centre to re-open next week, but…. a PostCode Lottery!

Marlborough’s recycling centre will re-open on Monday (18 May) next week.

But….. if you live in an SN8 PostCode, you can only visit the site on Thursday 21 May, or Saturday 23 May.

However….. If you live in SN4 – in Winterbourne Monkton for example, you can visit on Monday (19 May), Friday, and / or Sunday. And probably have the run of the place.

Wiltshire Council have introduced a PostCode entry system ‘to help limit the number of people on site at any time and ensure social distancing’.

Below is the matrix of sites, dates, and the PostCode District of residents showing which days they can visit the site.

Marlborough’s recycling centre is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (see times / days of openings below) so anyone living in an SN8 PostCode District (most of us around here) will be restricted to only two of the five days next week that the centre is open.

If demand is high after such a long period of closure, the concern expressed is that in this first week of re-opening, the two days of access for local residents will be very busy (creating possible social distancing issues) whilst the other three days will be very quiet.

Wiltshire Council’s release states that ‘People may be asked to provide a proof of address in order to use the Household Recycling Centre.’

Cllr Bridget Wayman, Cabinet Member for Waste at Wiltshire Council, said: “It’s important we do all we can to protect our staff and residents, which is why we have implemented this easy to use postcode scheme.

“People should only visit a household recycling centre on the days that correspond to the first part of their postcode, and even then, they can only dispose of waste that cannot be stored safely at home.

“There are several changes to opening hours and many other changes, so everyone should double check these before they set off for a household recycling centre.”

Wiltshire Council stress that journeys to Household Recycling Centres should only be undertaken if waste or recycling cannot be stored at home safely or disposed of safely by other means, this includes kerbside recycling collections and the bulky waste collections service. Residents are able to leave additional recycling at the kerbside provided it is separated properly and placed in sturdy containers. To find out what can / can’t be left at the kerbside click here.

They add that ‘to keep staff and residents safe, there are a significant number of changes in place to ensure social distancing at all Household Recycling Centres. These changes include:

• Visitors must keep at least two metres from others at all times
• Only one person allowed on bin access steps at any one time
• Visits are restricted to one person per car
• No entry for trailers or large vans over 3.5 tonnes
• The number of parking spaces on each site will be significantly reduced, with vehicles allowed on site on a ‘one in, one out’ basis.
• There will be no pedestrian access
• Household Recycling Centres cannot accept soil, rubble, plasterboard, textiles or asbestos during this initial reopening phase
• Don’t bring recyclable materials that can be collected through the council’s kerbside recycling collection service
• As we expect that sites will be much busier than normal, if you have a bulky items to depose of please consider using the council’s Bulky Household Waste collection scheme instead http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/large-item-collection‘