Works to identify new sites to replace three recycling centres in Nottinghamshire have taken a step forward.

Nottinghamshire County Council has today (Monday 9 December) approved that detailed investigation works can now get underway on sites identified to potentially replace the current West Bridgford, Kirkby and Mansfield recycling centres.

This follows the county council’s strategic review of household waste and recycling centres, the Place Select Committee recommendations and the Cabinet decision approving these recommendations, which included a site search to find new sites in the south and west of the county.

Due to the close proximity of the current Kirkby and Mansfield sites, proposals have been made to replace both sites with a new, modern and more efficient site. The sites which will now been investigated further are land off Jubilee Way in Mansfield and the Portland Industrial Park in Kirkby in Ashfield.

In West Bridgford, the current site on Rugby Road has been identified as no longer fit for purpose due to housing growth around the site and issues with vehicles queuing to get into the site during busy times.

A number of sites to replace West Bridgford were identified and the site next to the Gamston Highways Depot will now be investigated further as a potential replacement.

Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “I would like to confirm that although we’re undertaking works to identify replacements for the current sites in Kirkby in Ashfield, Mansfield and West Bridgford, no existing site will close until a better and more efficient replacement is open and ready to welcome residents.

“We commissioned a strategic review of our household waste and recycling centre network in 2022 to make sure that sites are best serving Nottinghamshire residents as we look towards the future.

“This review was undertaken by independent consultants and looked at all 12 sites across Nottinghamshire to assess the sites’ locations, the potential application of new technologies, the potential to open new facilities as well as the potential to develop existing sites.

“The resulting strategic review document was used as the basis for the county council’s cross party Place Select Committee to undertake a review into the recycling centre network and make a series of recommendations, which were approved by the county council’s Cabinet in July 2024.

“This process identified that the recycling centre provision in the south and west of the county is not currently fit for purpose and that the development of new sites in these areas would improve capacity and provide Nottinghamshire residents with a service that is sustainable as we look ahead to the future.

“As with any site search a number of sites were identified by our property team and we have now reduced this shortlist to those that we feel will be best place to accommodate a recycling centre.

“I would like to confirm that this doesn’t mean that we are starting work on constructing new sites.

“Now that these further detailed investigations have been approved, we will be looking closely at the viability of locating new recycling centres on these sites and we will continue to update residents with our progress as we look ahead to making our current network more efficient.”