Hertfordshire County Council cancels plans to reduce recycling centre hours

It was confirmed at a council meeting held this morning that the proposals will not go ahead. Councillors also agreed to scrap plans to introduce a demand management booking system across the county.

Councillor Paul Zukowskyj confirmed that the authority would look at other ways of saving money. He noted that the proposals had been put forward by the previous administration at the county council. Under the now shelved scheme, the opening days at centres in Stevenage, Ware, Waterdale and Welwyn Garden City, would have been reduced from seven to five.

Councillor Zukowskyj said: “Recycling centres are well used and important to our residents, and there’s no doubt that a service like this supports our ambition to make our environment greener. That’s why we’ve made the decision to scrap the plans for reducing opening days at the four sites that are currently open every day.

“We also know that when doing a DIY project or clearing garden waste, you don’t always know how long the job will last, so planning a time to take waste to the recycling centre or donate items to be sold in our Reuse shops just isn’t practical. That’s why we’ve halted proposals for a booking system too and will be looking at alternative options which we’ll share with our residents in due course.”

The proposals to reduce opening hours were first discussed by councillors in February of this year.