Construction begins for a new “state-of-the-art” Household Waste Recycling Centre and Waste Transfer Station in Walsall.
The project forms part of Walsall Council’s strategy to “modernise and enhance” waste management services.
Located on Middlemore Lane, Aldridge, the site aims to provide modern and easy-to-use facilities that enable residents to recycle a wider range of items.
Construction company Morgan Sindall is overseeing all aspects of the project’s technical design and construction.
The station will have the capacity to process 40,000 tonnes of rubbish per year across 19 bays, each housing two skips, Walsall Council said.
Commenting on the beginning of construction, Councillor Kerry Murphy, Portfolio Holder for Street Pride, said: “It was great to get a feel for just how big this site is and to see the progress that is being made.
“This is a project we are investing in for the future of our residents here in Walsall. The site will help us both in the here and now and as we move forward with an ever-increasing population in the borough.”
Our current facilities have served us well, but this project will accommodate increasing demand and help us all to recycle and reuse more of our waste.
The local authority said a reuse shop with a workshop area will also be built where staff will refurbish items that would otherwise be sent to landfill.
As well as the construction of the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) and Waste Transfer Station, the site will include the provision of weighbridges, service yards, ventilation systems, and office and welfare facilities for operational and management staff.
Councillor Adrian Andrew, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth and Regeneration, commented: “This project is a massive investment for the future of the borough and a commitment to our cleaner and greener strategy.
“Our current facilities have served us well, but this project will accommodate increasing demand and help us all to recycle and reuse more of our waste.
“Importantly, the site will house banks of solar panels, generating much of the renewable energy needed to run the site.”
