Newark household waste and recycling centre could be blueprint for improved recycling centres across county as Nottinghamshire County Council reviews service

Newark’s household waste and recycling centre has been lauded as a good example of an efficient site amid a review into the county’s tips.

Nottinghamshire County Council is currently undertaking a review of it’s recycling centres across the county, and while no decisions have yet been made, it could see a number of less efficient sites improved or replaced with better-designed ‘supersites’.

The site on Brunel Drive, Newark, is an example of a well-designed site, which has three lanes to allow traffic to flow even while vehicles have stopped to unload items into the large skips.

If a decision is taken to build new sites elsewhere in the county — where smaller tips have faced issues with queuing traffic backing up onto other roads — the designs could take inspiration from the Newark centre.

Neil Clarke, the council’s cabinet member for transport and environment, said: “It’s about efficiency, ease of movement and generally providing a good service.

“This site is laid out in a way that is probably ideal — it allows through traffic in the middle of the three lanes, so there is no unnecessary queuing. People can pull in to get to the skip they need without delay.

“It works very well for those reasons.”

Outcomes of the review and a chance to decide on the way forward for the county’s recycling centres is expected in the next few months, anticipated to be around mid-November.

“We’re assessing the sites at the moment,” Mr Clarke added.

“We are looking at how other sites could be improved, or if we should open new sites with this as an example of how an efficient site should be.

“No decisions have been made yet, and we won’t close any sites unless, or until, there is a better alternative available.

“The whole idea and ambition is to improve service for residents.”

Previosuly a number of petitions had been launched calling on the county council not to close any tips — which the councillor suggested were ‘premature’.

He suggested that after the results of the assessment had come back, the council would “then be able to have a better idea” as to how it would improve its household recycling service.

“We are working very hard to make sure that we get the best possible results of the review,” he added.

“It’s all for the benefit of users of the centres.”