Improvements aim to manage Lytham recycling centre congestion
Lancashire County Council is making improvements to Lytham recycling centre to manage congestion at peak times and reduce delays when skips need changing.
Work is now ongoing to alter the layout of the site to create a separate loading area to allow skips to be changed with less disruption.
This will avoid the need to close the site for most skip exchanges and reduce the chance of people waiting to enter having to queue on Saltcotes Road.
Spring is one of the busiest times of year for the council's recycling centres, and the council is also appealing to people to consider visiting when it's quieter before 11am and after 3pm to reduce their wait.
More people are using Lytham Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) with annual visits having grown by over 30,000 over the last 3 years.
County Councillor Joshua Roberts, cabinet member for rural affairs, environment and communities, said: "All of our recycling centres can get very busy at times, particularly on Bank Holidays and sunny weekends when people are working in their gardens or doing DIY.
"Lytham recycling centre is no different and operates perfectly well most of the time. However, its location on a busy rural lane means that on the few occasions that vehicles end up queueing on Saltcotes Road, other traffic is held up.
"These changes will create a separate area for skip exchanges to reduce the number of occasions that we need to close the site, and reduce the likelihood of vehicles needing to queue on the road. Improving how the site operates will make everyone’s visits easier, particularly at the busiest times.
"People often ask me why we don't reopen the former recycling centre at St Annes to relieve the pressure on Lytham. This isn't an option as the land was sold after the site was closed in 2011, and why we're focused on making the Lytham site work as effectively as possible."
The changes to the site include additional lighting, and clearer marking of parking bays.
The main improvements are due to be completed this week with some minor finishing works to follow. Lytham HWRC is open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm. The site is continuing to operate largely as normal while the improvements are ongoing, however people are asked to take particular care when they visit.
For more information on waste and recycling go to https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling.