THURROCK Council has confirmed it will create three additional temporary waste drop-off sites to give residents more opportunities to dispose of household waste not collected because of the current industrial dispute which has led to bin workers withdrawing their labour over proposed changes to their pay and conditions.

The council told of its intention to add new collection points in Belhus and Blackshots over the weekend and has confirmed them. And after a public plea from Conservative councillors Barry Johnson and Sue Little in Orsett, a third new site will be set up there.

However, calls for new sites in other wards, including East Tilbury which was championed by independent councillor Fraser Massey, appear to have been ignored.

The new sites in Belhus and Blackshots are set to open today (Tuesday, 11 May) with plans for another new site in Orsett also being made. These are in addition to the five temporary sites which have been operational for the last three weeks.

The new sites are:

Car park at Impulse Leisure Belhus Park, Park Lane, South Ockendon, RM15 4PX.

Car park at Impulse Leisure Blackshots, Blackshots Lane, Grays, RM16 2JU.

Existing sites which remain open are at:

The former Yara Terminal site, London Road, Purfleet-on-Thames, RM19 1PA.

The former Culver Centre site, Daiglen Drive, South Ockendon, RM15 5BX.

The former council depot site, Curzon Drive, Grays, RM17 6BQ.

Units H and I, Hume Avenue, Tilbury, RM18 8YD.

The Billet site, Billet Lane, Stanford-le-Hope, SS17 0AR.

All seven sites are open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday. The Culver Centre, Hume Avenue, and Billet Lane sites will also be open between 9am and 12pm on Saturday 15 May.

The council says it will continue to review drop-off site provision and seek opportunities to add additional sites and hours of operation where possible.

Cllr Andrew Jefferies, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "These sites have been established temporarily as a result of the disruption to household collections caused by the strike action being taken by Unite the Union.

"They have been created to give residents an opportunity to get rid of the waste most likely to generate an odour. The sites will be closed as soon as collections can return to normal.

"Opening hours of the sites will be extended, including increased opening at the weekend, but we need to work within strict Environment Agency guidance.

"Waste collection teams are still out collecting waste from communal bin stores in flats and from residents who receive assisted collections because they cannot physically put their bins out themselves or at the drop-off sites. Trade waste collections are also continuing.

"We will continue to do all we can to mitigate the disruptive impact of the strike action for residents."

The council has added the following caveat to collection points:

[.I]The operation of the waste drop-off sites must be in line with strict Environment Agency guidelines and they cannot be left full due to the potential fire risk. Opening hours allow for the containers to be emptied overnight. The council is asking residents not to leave waste at these sites when they are closed to avoid creating a fire hazard and because it could be considered as fly-tipping. Piles of waste were left at the sites outside opening hours over the weekend which the council cleared.[.I]

Meanwhile the council has explained why residents have seen crews not taking part in the strike action out catching up on collections which did not take place as planned last week.

A statement said: "During the 10 and 28 May strike period residents who do not receive an assisted household waste collection and do not live in a property with a communal bin store should:

• not put any bins out for collection
• use waste drop-off points to dispose of the most unpleasant waste, including food waste and smaller items of garden waste
• rinse out and compress recycling as much as possible in the blue recycling bin to ensure recycling waste is contained

More information about the waste drop-off sites can be found [L]http://www.thurrock.gov.uk/bins-notice[.L]