Work on new recycling centre could start this year

Work on a new recycling centre in Norfolk is expected to begin later this year.

Senior county councillors are expected to back plans to search for a contractor to build the new centre for Wymondham, which will replace the town's existing one.

A report said that whilst funding for the project was confirmed in 2020, work had been delayed because of the pandemic and the need to have a "complex drainage strategy" for the new site.

The council said the new centre – which would be built south of the town and next to the B1172 – would be larger than the current one, be open more often and take in a wider range of recycled materials.

The report for the Conservative-controlled council's cabinet said the existing centre, on Stayground Lane, was the second smallest in Norfolk.

It opens only four days a week, is unable to accept all the forms of recycling laid out in government rules and has limited parking.

The planned new site will have a Reuse shop selling secondhand goods.

It will have the same opening hours as other larger recycling centres in Norfolk, which currently open seven days a week but from June will be closed on Wednesdays as part of a plan to save money.

Other measures brought in to cut costs include the introduction of a booking system for recycling centre users and new charges for trade waste.

The cabinet is being advised to approve the search for a contractor to build the new site, with the project costing up to £3m.

The authority is expected to seek planning permission in spring/summer and, if it is granted, work could begin before the end of the year.

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