Opening times at North Shields tip will be extended from Thursday with an increase in available appointments.
North Tyneside Council will extend the opening hours of its household waste recycling centre, following a successful relaunch on May 12 using an appointment only system.
From Thursday May 28, the site will be open from noon to 10pm on weekdays and the number of appointments available through the council’s online bookings system will increase from 18 to 25 per half hour.
The Wallsend Road centre has been operating from 3pm-10pm on weekdays, with strict social distancing measures in place to protect staff and residents.
The relaunch has gone so smoothly that the council and SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK have agreed to increase capacity, allowing more residents to dispose of their household waste while observing social distancing requirements.
The extension follows the reintroduction of bulky waste collections in the borough, while collections of household waste, recycling and garden waste have continued throughout lockdown.
Coun Carl Johnson, cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “I am delighted with the way the household waste recycling centre is operating since we reopened earlier this month and I’d like to thank our hard-working staff and partners at SUEZ for the solutions they have come up with to ensure the facility runs smoothly and safely.
“The orderly running of the site is also down to our residents who have shown great patience and been very supportive and respectful of the new arrangements.
"The extended hours and the relaunch of our bulky waste collections is good news for residents and our local environment.”
As before, residents will be asked to book a time slot online and produce a permit and proof of address to gain access.
Both staff and visitors must adhere to strict rules to ensure two-metre social distancing is always maintained on the site.
Staff on site will check permits – obtained through online bookings – from two metres away.
Residents are still urged to plan ahead and question whether their journey is essential.
