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Drivers Queue For Seven Hours To Get Into Rubbish Tip

Drivers Queue For Seven Hours To Get Into Rubbish Tip

Birmingham City Council reopened four recycling centres after weeks of lockdown

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

Motorists were spotted queuing for seven hours yesterday (7 May) to get into a rubbish tip after it reopened following weeks of lockdown.

Dozens of cars lined the long country road heading towards the Lifford Lane recycling centre, Birmingham, with some waiting from 3.30am until it was due to open its gates at 11am.

Photographs have now been shared from the scene, with as many as 150 cars queuing up to dispose of their household waste.

Gary Palmer, from Moseley, said he was waiting hours to get rid of the rubbish he had stocked up during lockdown.

SWNS

The 44-year-old said: "We've been doing a lot of work on the house and garden during lockdown, all those jobs that you put off usually, but don't have an excuse to anymore.

"But the problem was all the leftovers. The household bins only hold so much so we've been waiting for this day to come.

"It looks like everyone else was in the same position, though. I turned up around 9am. The queue was well over a mile long. I was still waiting to get in at 2pm."

SWNS

Kerry Fletcher, a hospital worker from Northfield, was stuck in a car for more than five hours with her two young children before she could dispose of her rubbish.

The 36-year-old said: "It has been an absolute nightmare. I've had a kitchen renovation and had some things leftover from that even though we had a skip.

"I arrived at 10.30am and I'm still waiting to get in now. People are coming in from different directions, so keep nipping in. Some cars have only been here an hour while people like me have been stuck for hours on end.

"It's been a battle keeping the kids entertained, the batteries on the phones, the DVD player, the iPads are all dead.

SWNS

"I'm trying to stay positive but I'm losing the will to live and wish I'd never bothered, now. It has been horrendous."

The recycling centre is operated by Veolia, which they say was reopened for 'essential use only'.

Four of their five sites across Birmingham reopened on Thursday with restrictions, including one person per vehicle where possible and social distancing measures.

A Veolia spokesperson said: "To ensure the safety of the public and our staff, we are opening for essential use only.

SWNS

"This is for residents who have a problem with storing too much waste or have oils or other hazardous waste at home.

"Please think carefully before you decide to visit the site. Non-essential use puts yourself, other members of the public and our staff at risk from spreading the infection.

"Anyone in self-isolation or with Covid-19 symptoms must NOT visit under any circumstances.

"The number of vehicles on-site will be restricted and cars should be driver-only where possible.

"Extra guidelines in place will cause delays and we ask you to be patient.

"Our staff are working hard in difficult circumstances to keep this site operating. Please treat our staff with respect at all times.

"We take our responsibility to your health and safety and that of our staff very seriously.

"We will be cleaning handrails regularly and closing the site at certain times to allow for thorough cleaning.

"Our operatives are following Government and industry guidance on personal hygiene."

Featured Image Credit: SWNS

Topics:Β Interesting, Coronavirus