Book a time slot to dump your rubbish
RECYCLING centres in Burscough and Skelmersdale have reopened with a new restrictions and an appointment system.
Residents can arrange visits by booking 30-minute slots after the centres reopened on Friday, May 15.
They had been closed since March in response to the coronavirus outbreak and Lancashire County Council had faced widespread pressure to follow neighbouring authorities in opening in a controlled manner.
Merseyside opened its tips on May 4 but visitors faced queues of up to three hours and the county council hopes to avoid this through the introduction of its booking system.
Other restrictions have been put in place to enable social distancing and include a strict limit on one type of waste brought per visit, with visitors forbidden from walking freely around and instead instructed to park next to the skip they need.
Trailers and vans are banned entirely, while cars are only allowed to visit once in any given week. The council has urged residents to only bring rubbish if they can’t store it safely at home amid high demand for use of the recycling facilities.
Anyone with coronavirus symptoms or who is required to self-isolate is not allowed to visit, while staff cannot help people carry waste.
The county council also says it will enforce a zero tolerance approach to any abuse or aggression towards staff.
County Cllr Albert Atkinson, cabinet member for technical services, rural affairs, and waste management, said: “I would ask people to understand that we cannot provide the service in the usual way due to need to ensure social distancing, and manage the huge demand that has built up while the sites have been closed.
“Operating a booking system will be more convenient in many ways as it will ensure that people can visit during a specified time slot without having to queue for hours.
“However it’s also absolutely necessary to manage demand, and ensure that we don’t cause traffic issues which could place pressures on other vital services such as the police.”
Book on the county council’s website or by calling 0300 123 6781