West Sussex County Council: Crawley’s prestige Household Waste Recycling Site set to re-open

Date: Mar 18, 2009

Press Release Number: PR2738

Press Release

Crawley’s flagship Household Waste Recycling Site in Metcalfe Way will reopen on Wednesday April 1 at 8am – when Henry Smith, Leader of West Sussex County Council, will be its first customer.

The reopening is in line with a pledge he made immediately after the state of the art site was destroyed by fire at the beginning of last June.

The prestige site has been fully restored by the County Council and Viridor, its waste contractors, to include the customer friendly features that made it one of the best of its kind in Europe.

These include:

• Separating customers from site operations, including lorry manoeuvres, by having a one-way traffic system around the site’s perimeter and a split-level arrangement. The split-level design enables quick turn-around times for the household waste recycling site, so reducing queuing and waiting times for users.
• An enclosed Transfer Station that has 15 'windows' through which the general public can dispose of their bulky household waste.
• The majority of operations being under cover, which reduces the impact on neighbouring businesses.
• Offering a full range of recycling and disposal facilities, including hazardous waste, and a bay for over-sized vehicles.
• Keeping many materials - such as green waste, metals, cardboard, paper, wood and residual waste - under cover.
• A dedicated recycling area for glass, plastics, cans, soil/hardcore.
• Hazardous waste recycling, such as batteries and Liquid Petroleum Gas cylinders.
• A separate area for white goods, such as fridges and washing machines.

The temporary site that began operating next door in Metcalf Way only weeks after the fire will no longer be in use from April 1.

The restored site, which has new fire precaution measures, will operate summer hours from April 1: 8am-7pm Monday to Friday and 9am-7pm Weekends and Bank Holidays.

Henry, who also represents Pound Hill, Worth and Maidenbower, said: “The re-opening of a top class Household Waste Recycling Site in Crawley means once again the borough’s residents will be able to drive straight into a flagship facility and get rid of their rubbish quickly, safely and with reduced queuing times.

“Soon after the original site began operating in 2006, it very quickly established itself as a valuable and much appreciated facility in the town – one that encouraged residents throughout the borough to maintain high rates of recycling.

“Because of this, the County Council in partnership with Viridor promised to replace the gutted site within a year. We have been able to fulfil this pledge thanks to the determination of the Waste Team at County Hall and their Viridor colleagues who pulled out all the stops to make this happen.

“I would also like to thank Crawley Borough Council for its cooperation and for allowing us to use the land next door for the temporary arrangements.

“Viridor Waste Management assisted in making this happen quickly, in addition to ensuring recycling was introduced at this facility. This meant we have been able to maintain the 40 per cent recycling rate, which is an outstanding achievement given the arrangements were temporary.

“In addition to this, my appreciation extends to the residents of Crawley for their patience during the re-building and restoring of the site flagship site.”

Ends…

NOTE TO EDITORS: Henry Smith will be at the fully restored Crawley Household Waste Recycling Site, Metcalfe Way, Crawley, on Wednesday April 1 at 8am, when he will become the facility’s first customer.