Harrogate's recycling centre may finally reopen within weeks

Worried that Harrogate Stonefall tips' closure during coronavirus might become permanent, readers complained to the Harrogate Advertiser that it was unrealistic for everyone in Harrogate to use the Penny Pot Lane centre or travel even further to the Ripon site, the county council.

But Coun Don Mackenzie, North Yorkshire County Council's executive member for access, said the Harrogate recycling centre at the Wetherby Road was closed for two reasons:

Its layout makes it potentially the worst recycling centre in North Yorkshire for the potential transfer of the coronavirus.

Its location makes it the most likely worst recycling centre in North Yorkshire to lead to disruptive queues of vehicles if reopened.

Coun Mackenzie said: "The Stonefall Harrogate Household Waste Recycling Centre is now the only site which remains closed, while all the other 19 have been re-opened.

"The facilities in the site are not of the most modern type.

"The whole site is on one level and so access to large bins is by means of steps and handrails.

"The potential for the transfer of the coronavirus is considerable, and the job of cleaning surfaces after each use is huge.

"By contrast, the West Harrogate Household Waste Recycling Centre at Penny Pot Lane is on two levels meaning that users are not forced to use staircases etc, and it is much quicker to dispose of waste and recyclables, and less need to touch surfaces.

"Our officers are of the professional opinion that the risks associated with re-opening Stonefall remain - at least for now - too great, both for staff and especially for users."

In terms of traffic, Coun Mackenzie said it was much easier to take measures to avoid a large build-up of traffic at Penny Pot Lane.

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He said: "The Wetherby Road centre is an old site situated on one of the busiest entrances into Harrogate, making it the busiest in the county, so its location is itself problematic.

"Additionally, because of the need to limit the number of users on site at any one time to help with social distancing, and because of the time it can take each user to complete his or her business, the likelihood is that very long queues of vehicles would form on Wetherby Road, a busy access road and close to the entrance to a large supermarket.

"The potential for hazardous situations to arise is considered too great, as is the risk of very annoyed drivers.

"At Penny Pot Lane, we were able to mitigate the hazards associated with queuing traffic by introducing one-way arrangements on what is not a busy road anyway. That option is not available on Wetherby Road, meaning that there would also be cars queuing to enter the site from both directions.

"That would be unacceptable on highways safety grounds."

Coun Mackenzie said he was aware that residents were frustrated at having to drive further to recycle household rubbish.

He said: "We know that residents very anxious for the site to re-open.

"On the other hand, Harrogate Borough Council has continued to collect waste and recyclables without interruption, apart from a single missed collection of the subscription garden waste service, and we are very grateful that this service has been maintained."

Coun Mackenzie added it was a difficult situation to predict but officers from North Yorkshire County Council were continuing to review options on the closure at Wetherby Road as lockdown eases.

The Harrogate Advertiser understands the Stonefall Harrogate Household Waste Recycling Centre is likely to be reopened in a matter of weeks at most, rather than months.

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