Eastwood waste centre will shut for four months

Calderdale Council says the revamp will make it safer, quicker and easier for local people to recycle unwanted items.

The centre, located between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge, currently handles 5,500 tonnes of material a year, and around 65 per cent of this is recycled thanks to people putting items into the appropriate skips.

But, like the waste that people take there, the centre has seen better days, and urgently needs to be updated to meet modern safety standards and make it easier for visitors and staff to use, says the council.

The refurbishment will include demolition of the existing waste shed and re-organising of the centre to encourage more recycling. There will be clear separation of areas for cars and larger vehicles.

The works are part of a programme of improvements to household waste recycling centres across the borough.

To make sure these essential works are carried out safely, Eastwood will be closed for the duration, from August 2013 to late December 2013. Calderdale Council apologises in advance for any inconvenience this might cause, and encourages people to use alternative Household Waste Recycling Centres in Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, Brighouse and Elland, said a spokesman.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet member for economy and environment, Coun Barry Collins, said: “We’ve worked hard with local people to get this project right. It will boost recycling, improve safety and help to reduce queuing on the busy Halifax Road. As a result, Eastwood will soon be just as efficient as the other Calderdale waste centres refurbished by the council in recent years.”