RESIDENTS in Thurrock will once again be able to use the Household Waste and Recycling Centre on Buckingham Hill Road, Linford, from Monday, 18 May under strict social distancing rules.

The site has been closed because of coronavirus restrictions will reopen for waste or recycling which cannot be stored safely at home. Restrictions will be in operation and residents are urged to use common sense and only visit the site if absolutely necessary.

It is two weeks since the government instructed councils to reopen their tips and Cllr Aaron Watkins, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "This is great news for our residents and we have been working to reopen the site since social distancing measures first came into force.

"We are now in a position to safely reopen. Social distancing measures will be in place and we ask that you only visit if it is absolutely essential and you cannot store an item at home without causing a risk of injury or to your health. The safety of our residents and staff remains paramount."

New restrictions will be in place at the the household waste recycling site to ensure the safety of staff and residents. These include:

· strict social distancing measures which must be followed on site

· limiting the number of vehicles on site with a maximum of five cars allowed in at a time

· staff directing residents where to park

· only one person leaving their vehicle on site and being permitted on steps or walkways at any one time

· only bringing waste or items that can be unloaded by one person as staff will be unable to assist

· trailers will not be allowed on site initially

Cllr Watkins added: "Please be respectful to our staff who are doing the best job they can while trying to remain safe. The site will only stay open if residents and staff can stay safe, so please be patient and if large queues are forming, please visit the site another day.

"If you need a permit to access the site, please ensure that this has not expired and apply for a renewed permit, if required, before visiting.

"Help us to keep you safe. Please stay two metres apart and continue to follow the latest government's guidance.

"We also continue to take fly-tipping very seriously and there will be increased security on site and patrols around the area to prevent this blight on our borough. We are monitoring this anti-social behaviour and will take any necessary action."

To help ensure traffic can be managed safely when the site reopens, a road closure will be implemented from Monday until Sunday, 14 June between the hours of 7.30am and 5.30pm on Buckingham Hill Road in both directions between the entrance to the site and the A1013 Stanford Road.

Residents will only be able to access the site from Linford.

Opening hours and site restrictions may be subject to change. Visit the council website for more information.

To apply for a permit, click here.

The council had come under pressure by many local residents to reopen the tip, particularly in the wake of the death of two horses in South Ockendon which were caused by people dumping grass waste in their field.

The council had stopped all collection of brown bin garden and kitchen waste bins, but recently resumed that on a rotational basis, meaning every household should get a collection once a month. Details of other bin collections can be found here.