Dear Resident,
Once in a generation work at Waldo Road Depot, including anti-fire measures
As you will be aware, the Council will be carrying out much needed structural and
maintenance works at the Waldo Road site. These works, which follow regulatory
guidance from the Environment Agency about fire prevention measures, will start
soon. The Waldo Road Reuse and Recycling Centre will be closed to residents from
Monday 3 February 2025 in order to undertake the work.
I apologise sincerely for the disruption that this will cause, however the closure is
unavoidable. I feel it is only right that I be completely open about the reasons and the
implications in the short term and the long term benefits they will bring. The work will
ensure the site continues to meet the Environment Agency’s latest guidance, both
relating to fire prevention and controlling the risk of pollution, thereby complying with
the conditions of the operating permit.
It is important to note as well that during this closure period, we are supporting
residents with additional garden waste disposal facilities and other mitigation
measures, including additional capacity for bulky waste collections from your
property.
As many of you who visit the tip will be aware, the Waldo Road site, which dates
back to Victorian times, is in need of renovation to ensure our operations can
continue effectively and safely. The improvement work will address this, installing
fire prevention measures and renewing infrastructure such as the drainage.
Residents may recall that last year, we had to close the site to the public due to
collapsed drains. This planned work has been in the making for a number of years
and our contractor, Guildmore have been appointed, and will begin work when the
site closes to residents.
During the works, Waldo Road will continue to be used by Veolia, our waste
management contractor, and remain as the borough’s main transfer station for
recycling and household waste which is collected directly from residents. It is
paramount that this aspect of the service is prioritised above all else and the work
will not impact your household recycling and waste collections. For confirmation, our
Churchfields Road site will remain open for residents to use, with a booking system
helping ensure the site operates at its maximum efficiency and minimising possible
congestion. Details for how to book a visit will be on the Council’s website.
www.bromley.gov.uk
We are also upping our garden waste weekend satellite sites and bulky waste
collections across the borough with details also on our website. The bulky waste
collections will be prioritised for traders as we are unfortunately unable to take trade
waste at Churchfields to begin with, due to lack of capacity and a statutory duty to
prioritise residential waste over trade. As someone who relies on the trade waste
service myself, I completely understand the frustration and disappointment this will
cause, and I hope that by prioritising trade waste for bulky waste collections this will
help to alleviate some concerns. The Council website also has details of local skip
hire firms which can be used. We have also reached out to neighbouring councils to
allow residents to use their facilities during the works but sadly this wasn’t a viable
option.
It is anticipated that the works to Waldo Road Depot will last for 13 months and once
the work is finished, the borough will have a brand-new waste depot facility which will
be safe and equipped for the future – thus also futureproofing the Borough. Crucially
as well, the work will also minimise reactive repairs and associated costs, which will
be welcome news all round.
Thank you for your understanding – we will be publishing regular updates.
Cllr Will Rowlands
FAQs
1. Why is Waldo Road RRC closing?
Waldo Road depot, which encompasses the Reuse and Recycling Centre, is
undergoing planned infrastructure improvements, including installing fire prevention
equipment and renewing drainage, which follows the Environment Agency regulatory
guidance. The temporary closure of the Reuse and Recycling Centre throughout the
duration of the work will mean that the depot can continue to be able to be used as a
waste transfer station, where all the Borough’s recycling and refuse collections are
initially collected together before being transported out of the borough. This ensures
that the recycling and waste collections and street cleansing services are not
affected by the construction works and residents continue to receive their collections.
2. How long will it be closed for?
The RRC will be closed for the duration of the works, which is expected to last at
least 12 months, and it should reopen in spring 2026.
3. What should I do with my waste?
The council provides residents with a comprehensive collection service enabling
residents to recycle and dispose of most common household items from their
home.
Garden waste can also be taken to one of the green garden waste temporary sites
at the weekend, or residents can subscribe to the green garden waste wheelie bin
collection service for just £70 for the year.
Where residents have household items that are in a good condition, it is
encouraged that they are donated to charity for reuse, or via sites such as
Freecycle, Freegle and Facebook Marketplace; passed on to friends or family; or
sold via sites such as eBay, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace.
Some shops will provide a collection service for old furniture when purchasing new
furniture, including beds etc – please check with them when you make your new
purchase.
The council provides a bulky waste collection service for unwanted furniture, with
different charges applying depending on what is being disposed of.
Batteries can be taken to supermarkets for safe disposal.
Small electrical items can be taken back to many stores, check
RecycleYourElectricals.org.uk for your nearest location.
When buying new electrical items, such as a washing machine or fridge freezer,
the store will offer a collection and recycling service, often at a charge. Please
check with the store when buying a new item. ao.com provide a standalone collect
and recycle service on appliances.
4. What about fly-tipping?
The Council will continue to target fly-tipping and prosecute those who dump
rubbish. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure that they dispose of their waste
correctly and there are many options available for residents and businesses to
dispose of waste properly and legally, with options also expanded whilst Waldo
Road is closed.
Whilst fly-tipping is comparatively rare, if you come across fly-tipping on the public
highway, please report it. We work closely with the Veolia fly-tipping collection
teams to ensure dumped rubbish is removed, with incidences investigated too.
5. Is there an alternative site instead of Waldo Road?
There are a number of different ways to dispose of or recycle various items,
including a number of alternative temporary locations for garden waste, with the
garden waste locations (Saturdays 11am- 4pm Shire Lane, Cotmandene
Crescent, Norman Park, and Sundays 8am-12pm Charles Darwin school and
Unicorn – Creswell Drive) being in operation each weekend from 1st March across
the borough. Our Churchfields Road Reuse and Recycling Centre will remain
open, with a booking system in place to maximise efficiency in support of
residents and also to minimise queuing time and related congestion.
FAQs
1. Why are the works taking place?
The site was originally built in Victorian times and requires work and upgrades to
ensure it complies with health and safety and current waste guidance.
Infrastructure such as drainage is being replaced, with fire prevention equipment
being installed in line with Environment Agency guidance.
2. How long will the works last?
The contractor, Guildmore, will be on site from February 2025 to prepare the site
ready for the works to start. This will include erecting hoarding around the
construction site and adjusting the current waste storage bays. Construction work
will commence in March 2025 and is expected to last just over a year.
3. Will the works be noisy?
Whilst the work will not be silent, it is not anticipated that it will generally be noisy,
with works being carried out in normal working hours, with the impact of noise
being minimised where possible. If any works have to be completed out of hours,
then we will share details with local residents in advance, with the contractor
following all relevant codes of practice.
4. What about the extra construction traffic?
Overall, there will be less traffic using the site, with traffic control also being in
place – our contractor is required to register with the Considerate Constructors
Scheme and to follow strict standards around managing the construction traffic both within and coming in and out of the site.
If you have any questions please let us know.
Cllr Mike Jack
Cllr Mark Smith
Cllr Alison Stammers
