Four recycling and household waste sites run by Leicestershire County Council will temporarily close so staff and resources can be focused on keeping the wider network running safely.
The council’s 13 sites have experienced unprecedented levels of demand across all sites in recent weeks, with many waste containers reaching capacity, and a shortage of drivers affecting the speed at which containers can be emptied.
The situation has also been affected by wider industry pressures affecting third-party treatment and disposal sites, including delays at treatment facilities and reduced processing capacity meaning we are not able to clear our sites as quickly as we would want.
To help manage the pressure and clear the backlog, the council will temporarily close Bottesford, Lutterworth, Oadby and Shepshed recycling and household waste sites.
The closures are as follows:
- Bottesford – open Thursday 6 August, then closed until Thursday 13 August.
- Lutterworth – open Thursday 6 August, then closed until Thursday 13 August.
- Oadby – closes at the end of Wednesday 5 August and will reopen on Saturday 15 August.
- Shepshed – will not open this week and will next open on Friday 14 August.
- Lount – already closed for improvement work and will remain closed until further notice.
The temporary closures will help keep services available across the county and reduce the risk of further disruption.
We know these temporary closures will be inconvenient, but they will help us focus staff and resources where they are needed most.
Wider industry pressures are also adding to the situation so this approach will support the remaining sites, help clear the backlog and keep the network operating safely again.
We are sorry for the inconvenience and thank residents for their understanding’.
Person:Councillor Adam Tilbury, cabinet member for environment and waste
In addition to diverting staff resources across the sites, we are working hard to recruit more drivers into the service as well as seeking additional local treatment and transfer capacity.
Residents are asked to avoid unnecessary trips during the temporary closures and, where possible, delay visits until all sites are fully open again.
More information is available on our waste and recycling pages.