THURROCK Council has confirmed it has put plans to expand and improve the household waste and recycling centre (HWRC) at Linford on hold – and it has defended a decision not to restore the site to full capacity after introducing restrictions because of the Covid pandemic.

Thurrock Nub News last highlighted public concern about reduced capacity at the site on Buckingham Hill Road in April when the council shut the tip for two days over the Easter bank holiday – prompting anger from householders who had endured the winter and covid restrictions but were left with nowhere to go with their waste over a holiday weekend when they tackled garden maintenance.

And when the tip opened on Easter Monday there were long queues and waits of well over an hour which created dangerous traffic conditions on a busy borough road.

There have also been a number of instances where the tip has been closed because of staff shortages.

Despite concerns, there have been no changes implemented since then and the council continues to limit the number of vehicles that can park near the hoppers. It says this is no longer due to Covid but to 'better protect the health and safety of site users and staff'. It also says the restrictions are to stop danger from HGVs and other vehicles – even though HGVs cannot enter the actual drop-off zone!

There are now eight 'angled' parking places inside the main drop zone, where previously at least 12 cars could safely be accommodated and the zone outside the main area has been reduced from six to four spaces.

Two years ago the council released a video showing how to use the site during Covid. The same restrictions are still largely in place.

And as part of a previous planning application, when asked specifically about HGVs using the site, planning officers said there were no issues relating to access and egress of lorries.

In 2019 the council announced, and won, planning permission for plans to expand and improve the site.

They included extension and redevelopment of the site comprising reconfiguration of site layout; construction of new access onto Buckingham Hill Road; construction of two storey office, welfare and store building; canopy over recycling centre; fuel storage area; two weighbridges; parking; wheel washing facilities; boundary fencing; landscaping; substation and transformer; works to boundary ditch; creation of surface water attenuation pond and offsite improvements including planting/landscaping and ghost right turn lane.

Detailing a list of problems at the site the council application said: "The HWRC at Linford is in need of expansion and updating as it is failing to meet increasing demand effectively. While the HWRC was designed to accept 6,000 tonnes of household waste per annum, it currently receives more than double that tonnage per annum.

"In addition, the amount of household waste coming into the site is expected to increase in line with an increase in the number of households from 65,490 at present, to 78,100 by 2030."

But despite a clear and urgent need for improvement, and a unanimous decision by the planning committee to support the scheme, it has now largely been mothballed.

A statement from the council says: "Plans to redevelop the HWRC are currently on hold. However, there are plans to carry out some repairs and improvements to the current site over the coming months, including replacing the office building which is reaching end of life."

And the council was at pains to stress that no restrictions currently in place (which were imposed because of Covid) are now related to Covid!

It says: "There are no Covid restrictions in place at the HWRC. The only restrictions are to the number of vehicles and people allowed on site, which are in place to protect the health and safety of site users and staff. As a working site which is accessed by all types of vehicles, including HGVs, and involves residents and staff loading hoppers on foot it is important that rules and guidance are in place to ensure everyone's safety.

"The restrictions in place now are not the same as they were pre-Covid, nor are they the restrictions we had in place during Covid. These restrictions have been developed as Covid restrictions came to an end to better protect the health and safety of site users and staff. They restrict the numbers of vehicles and people allowed on site."

Cllr Fraser Massey

Local ward councilor Fraser Massey says he is baffled by the council's decision and logic.

A longstanding critic of traffic management at the site and on Buckingham Hill Road, the East Tilbury councillor told Thurrock Nub News: "For some time I have questioned the ongoing restrictions at the household recycling centre and  also raised this some time ago with the relevant portfolio holder for the site.

"Before the pandemic vehicles would park closer together in two lanes allowing for more to enter the site at once, around 12 or 14 in the main lane depending on the vehicles.

"Now with the heron bone parking only eight can park in the main lane, this is a massive reduction and has led to dangerous queues on Buckingham Hill in the past.

"The planned upgrades to the tip which were approved by planning have been mothballed, presumably due to financial impacts, which has left us with a site with reduced capacity at a time when some bin services are cancelled or moved to bi-weekly, leaving residents confused and with ever-filling bins."