Tips in Monmouthshire could be ready to re-open next week

Waste centres in Monmouthshire could be ready to re-open next week with restrictions in place to combat coronavirus, the county council’s chief executive has suggested.

Councils in Wales have been asked to start preparing for Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRC) and libraries to re-open under minor changes to lockdown restrictions announced by the Welsh Government.

The closure of tips has prompted concerns over an increase in fly-tipping in some parts of the country.

Paul Matthews, Monmouthshire council’s chief executive, has told colleagues the move to open HWRCs is a “sensible step.”

In an email seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Matthews told councillors and staff: “We will get ourselves in a position to open some of ours for next week albeit we have to have a heavily modified operation to keep everyone safe.”

A spokesman for the council said it is advancing plans to re-open the two largest waste centres in Llanfoist and Caldicot.

There will be limits on the number of people accessing the sites and the types of waste that can be brought there, with more details on the measures due to be announced on Wednesday.

But councillor Jane Pratt, cabinet member for infrastructure and neighbourhood services, said the council “cannot give a firm date to re-open yet because the Welsh Government needs to issue new guidance allowing a journey to a site to be seen as essential travel.”

She said they will not re-open this week.

The county council says libraries are likely to stay closed for longer as it does not “judge these to be a priority service to re-open at this time.”

Councillor Paul Jordan, cabinet member for governance and law, said library staff have been redeployed to support shielded and vulnerable groups as well as helping process business grants.

He said staff are “better left to these tasks for now.”

Elsewhere, Newport council said services would only re-open “when it is safe for customers and staff.”

Changes to services could also be made, including less customers accessing facilities at a time, changes to opening times and controlled or restricted access.

“Our aim is to reopen services as soon as possible, but only when it is safe for customers and staff, and with measures that will support the ongoing fight against Covid-19,” a council spokeswoman said.

Caerphilly council said “potential timescales” on re-opening HWRCs and libraries will be provided later this week.

A council spokesman said there will also be regional and national discussions “to explore whether a joined up approach can be adopted by local authorities to ensure consistency.”

“There are many factors that need to be carefully thought through before these facilities can safely operate and this will take time,” the spokesman said.

Blaenau Gwent council said the New Vale HWRC will only re-open when it can be done safely, adding that there will be “significant changes” to the operation of the site.

Torfaen council has been contacted.