Recycling centres to allow pedestrian access and increased flexibility
Following public feedback and a review of user behaviour at household recycling centres (HRCs),
Aberdeenshire Council is introducing improved services at centres this week.
Beginning tomorrow (Wednesday, July 29), booking slots will be reduced from 30 minutes to 15 minutes to reduce queues at the start of appointments. With the majority of residents arriving at the start of their 30-minute time slots and visits completed within 10-15 minutes, this change will be more suited to the visiting patterns of residents.
The number of available bookings at Insch and Portsoy will also increase from 36 to 96 per week.
Beginning on Saturday, August 1, residents will be allowed to book 8 slots over a 4-week period, rather than the current 2 slots per week. This change will allow people with specific projects (i.e. gardening or home renovations) to access their local site more frequently over a short period of time.
August 1 will also see a change at the centres in Portsoy, Insch, Westhill, Fraserburgh, Huntly, Turriff and Laurencekirk. These sites will allow pedestrians to enter between 12:00 and 12:30 every day. Pedestrian access will not require a booking.
Claire Loney, Reprocessing and Disposal Manager at Aberdeenshire Council, said: “After listening to your feedback, these changes aim to address more specific needs and offer greater flexibility for the public.
“These new arrangements are a step closer towards ‘normality’, and we hope they are met with the same success as previously plans.
“The booking system will remain in place for the time being to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and I would like to thank residents for their continued support and patience as we enter this new stage.”
To make a booking, please visit: www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/recyclingcentrebookings
For those who do not have access to a computer, telephone bookings can be made by calling Aberdeenshire Council’s Wasteline on 03456 081207.
Aberdeenshire Council also operate seasonal garden waste recycling points on Saturdays until October 31 at the following locations:
Balmedie: Leisure Centre car park, Eigie Road 1pm to 4pm
Newmachar: The Axis Centre, School Road, 8am to 11am
Oldmeldrum: Academy bus car park, Colpy Road, 1pm to 4pm
For more information on Household Recycling Centres, including operating times, please visit: http://bit.ly/AbshireHRC.
Scams centred on exploiting COVID-19 have become prevalent in recent months. Everything from government grants and furlough payments, to mortgage holidays and demands for payment of fines, are being targeted by scammers utilising ever more sophisticated methods.