Work to improve capacity, safety and access at Suffolk’s busiest waste and recycling centre is expected to start later this month and be completed either late next year or early 2024.
The £7.8million plans for the Foxhall Recycling Centre, on Foxhall Road, Foxhall, include increasing capacity for cars and building a feeder lane from Foxhall Road onto the site to improve road safety.
Richard Smith, Conservative councillor and cabinet member for economic development, transport strategy and waste, said: “Foxhall is the busiest household waste and recycling centre site in Suffolk.
“A lot of work will be done to bring the site up to a high standard. We hope to make a positive improvement to road safety through a dedicated right-hand turn lane into site.
“There will be a small amount of disruption to the public, and we will need the public to bear with us and understand that it is for the greater good. But we can manage any difficulties through the online booking system.”
In 2021, the cost of the project was estimated to be £6.5m, and Mr Smith put the increased costs down to the pressure of inflation.
Of the £7.8m, around £794,400 will come from East Suffolk Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy – money from developers to ensure they contribute to the area built in.
Changes have been in the pipeline since 2020, when the public was consulted on the proposals that will now go ahead.
Contractors, RG Carter will work with Concertus Design and Property Consultants on the project.
Plans include raising the car park so people will no longer need to walk up steps to dispose of waste, creating a space dedicated to emptying containers so the centre itself will not have to close during emptying, and moving the existing re-use shop to another position on the site.
The site will stay in operation while the changes are made, but there may be fewer booking slots at times.
There are 11 waste and recycling centres in Suffolk, and Foxhall accounts for 19 per cent of all recycling and waste collected – at 12,500 tonnes per year.
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