Hertfordshire County Council plans to expand Bishop’s Stortford’s household waste recycling centre

Hertfordshire County Council has unveiled plans to expand Bishop’s Stortford’s household waste recycling centre.

The authority wants to upgrade the site on the Woodside industrial estate off Dunmow Road by improving the internal circulation for vehicles to cut queuing times. Additional waste bins and an onsite compactor would be provided alongside better staff accommodation.

The expansion would incorporate 560 sq m (6,027 sq ft) to the north and west of the centre, which was originally granted planning permission in 1997.

A report supporting the planning application states: “The existing household waste recycling centre at Bishop’s Stortford has been operating for over 20 years… but is now recognised as being too small to meet local demand and current, new and emerging requirements to separate additional materials for recycling.”

The current set-up includes a hardstanding for large waste recycling bins and skips, plus an office building. Access for residents is via a one-way, in-out system.

The plans reconfigure and extend the site’s layout to cut the number of vehicles queuing to enter the centre and reduce downtime caused by service vehicles. An existing pre-fabricated building and several free-standing cages and storage bins will be removed to effect this traffic management.

The number of parking spaces will increase from 10 to 23, including two spaces for mobility vehicles and four additional staff bays.

The number of waste recycling bins on site will be increased from 17 to 21. Twelve of them would be available for rear compaction by an onsite machine.

There is no planned increase in the total waste collected other than that created by long-term population growth in the site’s catchment area. The existing opening hours will apply.

To see more planning applications and other public notices for your area, visit publicnoticeportal.uk.