Waste recycling centres across Kent should re-open with strict rules on social distancing. That is what the Dover District Council leader Cllr Trevor Bartlett and I are calling for.
Kent County Council shut the sites on March 24 – and there have since been reports of domestic waste building up and a spike in bonfires and fly-tipping.
Yet a new Government directive states the sites can remain open, and we have asked Kent County Council to consider re-opening them in light of the guidance.
It’s right that we take all necessary steps to battle the virus and keep safe. But the Government has been clear that there are good reasons to have access to proper waste disposal including at recycling centres, and that they can be managed within social distancing requirements.
Our local sites at Dover & Deal already operate a very structured approach to entry, exit and disposing of waste.
Meanwhile there are reports of big increases in fly-tipping, bonfires and general litter. A number of residents have contacted me about their concerns.
As a community we may be in this for the long haul, so we need to be sensible about what we can and can’t reasonably do. That’s why I’m asking Kent County Council to start drawing up plans for re-opening the sites in line with the new Government guidance.