Sefton Meadows Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) will see improvement works take place on site this summer.
The site owner, Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA), has applied for planning permission to restructure the HWRC, allowing improvements to the layout and traffic flow with the knock-on effect of helping to increase recycling rates with people finding it easier to get to the recycling containers.
The work will take up to approximately 16 weeks and following planning permission being granted will:
– alter the traffic flow within the site
– widen the circulation of the road in the HWRC by two metres to enable three lanes to be created
– provide a new dedicated exit road to serve traffic flow
– construct a new area adjacent to the new exit road for additional recycling facilities. This location will allow easy access for the public without making an unnecessary detour.
Carl Beer, Director of MWDA, said: “Sefton Meadows Household Waste Recycling Centre is one of our busiest sites and we recognise that in the past it has had some issues with traffic queuing and public access recycling.
“The proposed changes will mean that we will alleviate traffic queuing to the site and we will be able to provide more opportunities for the public to recycle via new containers and an improved layout."
The HWRC (on Sefton Lane, Maghull) will continue to operate at its current opening hours during the refurbishment (a). Some disruption will take place on the site during works, but MWDA will try to minimise these effects. A traffic marshal will be on hand at all times to direct traffic and to guide the public towards the appropriate recycling areas. MWDA would also encourage users to visit at quieter times (such as during the week) and to visit other nearby sites (b).
Sefton Meadows is one of Merseyside’s busiest HWRC’s. MWDA are hoping that a restructured traffic plan will encourage users to recycle their waste rather than use the general waste skips, which are not recycled.
Merseyside currently recycles 18.5% of the waste it produces, with the rest going to landfill. Landfill tax is due to rise by £3 per tonne, which means the cost of continuing to use landfill will be that much greater in the future than the costs of recycling the waste. These additional costs could ultimately be passed onto the taxpayer.
Cllr Kevin Cluskey, Chairman of the Waste Disposal Authority, said: “The redevelopment of the site forms part of a larger plan for MWDA. We are looking at both improving existing recycling and waste facilities as well as developing new ones in line with the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Merseyside. These will help to improve recycling rates as well as reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.”
A planning application has been submitted to Sefton Council and, if permission is granted, it is thought HWRC redevelopment would begin in late spring 2007 and would be complete by early autumn 2007.
For more information on the project please click here.
ENDS
Notes:
(a) April 1st – Sept 30th open 8.00am until 8.00pm ; Sept 30th – March 31st open 8.00am until 5.00pm
(b) Southport HWRC (Foul Lane), Formby HWRC (Altcar Road), South Sefton HWRC (Irlam Road), Kirkby (Depot Road)