The fire at the Viridor-run HWRC site at Westhampnett, which was believed to involve over 500 tonnes of household waste, was extinguished last Thursday (April 9), having burned since Tuesday 2 April (see letsrecycle.com story).
Damage was caused to a building on the site, which also houses a waste transfer station, and has consequently meant that the site has remained closed since 2 April.
However, the area where green waste is deposited was unaffected by the fire, which will allow Viridor to re-open this part of the site to residents from tomorrow.
Residents needing to dispose of other materials have been advised to visit nearby HWRCs at Bognor or Littlehampton, which are to remain open seven days a week until further notice. Trailer users will have to travel further afield to sites at Worthing or Billinghurst, due to restrictions at the other locations.
Cooperation
Steve Read, West Sussex county council’s director of environment and public protection, said: “I’m pleased we will be able to offer residents this green waste disposal facility from Thursday and would like to thank everyone again for their patience and cooperation at this difficult time.
“Safety has to be our top priority and a structural engineer visited the site on Friday (12 April) to assess the damage to the main building there – the waste transfer station – and we await the outcome of this initial inspection.
“Until the extent of the damage to the building and concrete surround is known, we do not know which other parts of the site have been affected, and will therefore require works.
“We have to ensure it’s safe for both staff and the public, as well as ensuring compliance with all legislation and permits to allow the site to open.
“Once this is known, we will work with Viridor to develop a long-term plan for rebuilding the site.”
The cause of the fire has not been identified, but Viridor said it believed that it may have been triggered by a lithium ion battery.
Related Links
Recycle for West Sussex
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