Derbyshire council introduces reduced waste centre opening times as part of saving plans

The latest of a series of changes being introduced at Derbyshire council’s household waste recycling centres will soon get underway as part of the authority’s wider money-saving efforts to overcome an estimated budget deficit of around £40m for the 2024/25 financial year.

Derbyshire County Council already agreed at a Cabinet meeting to introduce new measures at its household waste recycling centres and from October 1 daily opening times will change from 8.30am-6pm, to 9.30am-5pm, at eight of the council’s nine centres.

Cllr Carolyn Renwick, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Environment, said: “We’re constantly looking for ways to make the services we provide more efficient and effective and having listened to the views of residents, we’re making some changes which we believe strike the right balance.”

The council runs nine recycling centres across the county for Derbyshire residents including Chesterfield, Bolsover, Loscoe, Northwood at Darley Dale, Ilkeston, Glossop, Ashbourne, Bretby and Waterswallows, near Buxton, but opening hours will remain the same at the Buxton site due to different contractual arrangements.

Derbyshire County Council has already introduced charges from August for the disposal of tyres and asbestos at its nine household waste recycling centres and a new trade waste service will be introduced at the Chesterfield’s Stonegravels and Ashbourne’s household waste recycling centres in the coming weeks with a date yet to be confirmed.

The county’s small businesses and independent traders will be able to use the two sites between 8.30am to 9.30am, and 5pm to 6pm, daily, when the facilities will be closed to the public and they will be charged to dispose of their waste according to its type and weight.

Arrangements are also being put in place for a registration scheme for residents to ensure those using the household waste recycling centres are entitled to do so.

Plans previously considered included possibly introducing a permit scheme for residents to use the sites and Cabinet members also previously approved plans to spend up to £200,000 to install an Automatic Number Plate Recognition System at its waste sites to not only identify vehicle interlopers from outside Derbyshire but to allow for them to be charged for using the county’s waste sites.

Cllr Renwick added: “There will be a slight reduction in opening hours during the times our recycling centres are typically less busy which means we can continue to provide a good quality service for residents as well as offering a service to help small businesses and sole traders at our Stonegravels and Ashbourne sites.

“We know small businesses and independents are feeling the pinch and are often disproportionately hit in the pocket by waste disposal costs, so we’re pleased we’re making progress towards being able to offer this service for a modest fee to support our small business community.”

The council considered making the changes to its household waste recycling centres after a 32 per cent increase in the amount of waste collected at the sites since 2017 and 2018 was recorded which had risen to 85,000 tonnes a year, costing an extra £700,000 to £800,000 in annual disposal and recycling costs.

It has also explained the council is not required to accept tyres and asbestos at its recycling centres but has done so previously at no charge which led to extra running costs of around £69,000 a year.

The council stated that like many authorities it has been struggling financially due to reduced Government funding, the financial impact from the Covid-19 pandemic, high inflation rates, rising costs, the cost of living crisis, and a growing demand on services

Derbyshire County and Derby City councils have also resolved to fix and operate the waste treatment facility in Sinfin, Derby, which was at the centre of a dispute that resulted in a £93.5m payout by the authorities to Resource Recovery Solutions’ waste management team’s administrators after the councils had terminated a contract with the team to manage the facility.