Recycling made easier by revamp of household waste site

RECYCLING in Minehead has been made more efficient and safer for the public after a series of improvements to the town’s household waste recycling centre.
The centre’s layout has been redesigned to improve heath and safety standards and operating procedures at the site in Mart Road.
In particular, it ensures the site is closed for a much shorter period of time when the recycling containers are moved for emptying.
The improvements were carried out by Minehead-based contractors C J Lynch and were completed three days ahead of schedule.
The redevelopment included the removal of a ramp, which has created more space, and eliminating the tandem skip placement which caused long delays when moving the containers and sometimes causing the centre to be closed for up to 45 minutes.
The new layout will mean that the centre has to close for a far shorter time, as the containers are more easily accessible.
The changes have allowed the site to continue operating while an alternative, larger site is sought.
County Councillor for Minehead, Councillor Ian Galloway, said: “We anticipate the changes will mean that recycling will be more efficient and safer for the residents of Minehead.
“Parking spaces at the centre have been properly defined to make it much clearer where people can unload their recyclable material, so there should be less traffic congestion.
“The centre has always achieved a good level of recycling, and we now look forward to seeing even higher levels of recycling at the centre that these improvements are sure to bring.”
Rob Kidson, waste engineer for Somerset County Council, said: “In the long term we plan to relocate the centre to a larger site.
“However, these changes mean that the centre can continue to operate in a safe manner and will make recycling more efficient for the public”.
Members of the public are advised to take care on entering the centre for the first time, due to the layout changes.
For more information on waste and recycling, contact Somerset County Council on 0845 345 9188 or logon to http://www.recyclesomerset.info/.

• Our photograph (top) shows Councillor Ian Galloway (left) and Rob Kidson at the redeveloped Minehead Household Waste Recycling Centre. Photo submitted.

Construction underway on district council new headquarters

WORK has started in Williton on a centralised £2.9 million headquarters for West Somerset Council.
Council chief executive Tim Howes said: “We are delighted to be centralising our workforce in these new offices.
“This is a big investment for Williton, good news for the local economy, and a positive move for West Somerset.”
The majority of the existing collection of ageing council buildings on the site will be demolished and replaced with a two-and-a-half storey T-shaped modern building at the northern end of the Killick Way car park.
Recycling banks on the site were removed on Monday, April 23, in preparation for the build, and the council is encouraging people to recycle what they can through the fortnightly kerbside black box collection service, or to use the public facilities at the household waste recycling centre on the village’s Roughmoor industrial estate.
The recycling centre is open from 8 am to 8 pm in the summer and from 8 am to 5 pm in winter.
Subject to the Somerset Waste Board’s approval, the council hopes to return some recycling banks into a smaller area in March, 2008.
Council staff are being encouraged to park off site during the build, and the council has secured sufficient car park spaces on private land nearby, to minimise any disruption to the public.
Mr Howes said: “We have put in considerable effort to ensure the building’s orientation, layout, and design maximise the use of natural light, climate control, and energy conservation.”
The new offices will feature a metal ziplock roof which gives the appearance of traditional lead, with render, glass panel, and brickwork walls.
Two floors of the building will comprise meeting rooms and open-plan offices with a part-mezzanine executive officers’ suite in the roof space above.
Floor space will total 2,025 square metres.
The council chose Exeter-based contractors Mansell plc’s design for the new offices following public consultation last November.
More than 70 per cent of those who responded to the consultation said they felt Mansell’s design was most suited to the site.
The illustration above is an artist’s impression of how the new council offices should look. Drawing submitted.

Top-performing recycling centre in sudden closure for revamp

THE household waste recycling centre in Minehead - one of the top-performing in Somerset - is closed for three weeks.
Residents who use the centre in Mart Road from time to time suddenly found a printed notice attached to a bin outside the gates this week announcing the closure.
But Somerset County Council, which runs the centre, denied it had failed to keep the public informed of the impending closure.
The site is undergoing safety works and will have a new lay-out when it reopens.
In the meantime, however, there was no information available to the public on where to take their waste.
County council spokesman Jan Hookings told The Crier the closure was so ‘essential safety works can be carried out and a new site layout introduced’.
Mrs Hookings said: “Notices have been up on site for the past month and visitors over the past three weeks have been given flyers when visiting the site.
“Efforts are being made to keep disruption to a minimum.
“Local recycling banks for cans, paper and glass will remain available at Alexandra car park and Tesco car park, and at similar sites in the town.
“We have made every effort to try and keep people informed of this disruption and apologise for any inconvenience caused to people who only visit the site occasionally.”

• Photo by Mark the Photographer, ref M010106. Order image reprints online at http://www.tcpbymtp.co.uk/.