Residents complain of ‘serious problems’ after cuts to opening hours at recycling centres

Liam Randall, local democracy reporter

Reduced opening hours at recycling centres are said to be causing “serious problems”, with people queuing for up to an hour to get in.

Flintshire Council decided earlier this year to cut the number of days its five household recycling centres (HRC) are open from seven down to five in a bid to save money.

The changes at the centres in Mold, Buckley, Oakenholt, Sandycroft and Greenfield were introduced at the start of May.

It led to issues in Buckley as images shared on social media showed cars backing up outside the HRC on Globe Way, with queues also reported in Sandycroft.

Reduce costs

The local authority said the move to reduce opening hours was “not taken lightly”, but was necessary to reduce costs while also preserving jobs.

Concerns were raised over the impact of the decision at a meeting of backbench politicians held this week.

Buckley Pentrobin councillor Mike Peers said he had been contacted by a large number of residents who were left frustrated by the long waits.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s environment and economy scrutiny committee, he said: “In terms of the closure of the household recycling centres on two days a week, we need to scrutinise that very urgently.

“No doubt members have seen comments on Facebook. I’ve had emails, and you’ve probably seen the large queues outside HRC centres, with people queuing up for 45 minutes to an hour.

“There are serious problems, so I think that we do need to look into this and try and resolve the situation.

“I know it was looked at as a budget item and glossed over, but we do need to look in detail at what the problems are with the HRCs.

“I would ask that this be added to the agenda as soon as possible, so we can provide information to our residents and constituents.”

Closed

Under the changes to opening hours, the centres in Mold, Oakenholt and Sandycroft are closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Meanwhile, those in Greenfield and Buckley are shut on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The council previously said various factors were considered when altering the opening times, including traffic counts.

A notice on its website states: “In light of the budget position that Flintshire has experienced this year, and is expected to face for 2025/26, we have had to put in significant measures which aim to reduce costs and preserve jobs.

“Various factors have been carefully considered in revising the opening days and hours.

“These include site usage patterns, operational efficiency, and the need to deliver HRC services within the agreed reduced available budget.”

Officials stressed that no jobs would be lost as a result of the changes and they did not expect it to impact on the county’s recycling rates.

The council added: “There are no restrictions on what site you can use, so if your nearest site is closed, please use your next available site.

“On the occasion when all sites are closed (Wednesday) please store your materials safely at home until the next available day for disposal.

“Please note that this does not apply to those with a vehicle or trailer permit.”

Cllr Peers was told on Tuesday (June 11, 2024) that a further report on the issue would be brought to a future committee meeting.