Queues as residents arrive at centre for first appointments

CARMARTHEN’S Nantycaws recycling centre saw vehicles queuing back towards the dual carriageway on Tuesday morning.

Tuesday was the first day the centre had opened since Carmathenshire Council announced the reopening of its four recycling centres since lockdown started in March.

While the council has a strict appointments-only policy for people and social distancing rules in place, the scene by 9.30am at the Nantycaws site off the A48 didn’t look much different to any other day prior to lockdown - in fact, it seemed busier due to the queues.

The issue has raised concerns of people possibly turning up without an appointment or arriving way in advance of their alloted time slot which would have sparked the queues.

However, Carmarthenshire Council is adamant the appointment-only system is “working well” and “an element of queuing is to be expected as we are adhering to strict social distancing measures.”

One Carmarthen resident who had an appointment, but who did not wish to be named, said: “People were being checked at the entrance to see if they had an appointment and then having to queue in their cars to reach the recycling centre itself.

“The queue went back quite far, but not to the dual carriageway.

“By 11.30am there were still queues and even two cars parked in the lay-by too.

“Once inside the recycling centre there wasn’t much social distancing with people going this way and that way, passing each other.

“People were trying their best but it wasn’t easy with everyone trying to dump things at different points in there.

“Being that there are appointments, surely people shouldn’t then be