Under the plans, the recycling centre will be relocated around a mile away to Whittle Road in the Hadleigh Road industrial estate in a space which is currently occupied by Ipswich borough council’s operational depot.
A pre-consultation engagement will take place 28 February–11 March 2024.
Following the consultation phase, the council has said that planning permission will be submitted later in the year to turn the Whittle Road site into a split-level recycling centre.
This will be followed by an application for an environmental permit with the Environment Agency, after which the council has said design work will begin on the facility.
Site
According to the council the new site will incorporate additional safety measures such as a raised mezzanine platform which will allow residents to safely dispose of their waste.
Additionally, it has said that the layout of the proposed facility will be user-friendly with clearly marked recycling bays for easy access.
In terms of traffic management, the plan aims to eliminate queues into the centre, ensuring continuous access and servicing without the need for facility closures.
Moreover, the redevelopment will result in increased capacity, enhancing accessibility to accommodate the growing demand for recycling services.
Lastly, the council has said that its design plans for the new facility emphasises vehicle separation, promoting greater segregation between public vehicles and larger service vehicles.
Increase
Richard Smith, Suffolk county council’s cabinet member for economic development, skills, transport strategy and waste, said: “This new facility is needed to overcome an increase in demand at Portman’s Walk, which is only set to increase with the forecasted housing growth in the area, and which has resulted in congestion and delays to the local road traffic network. This new design would allow for more capacity and increase the number of booking slots available to residents.
“We are now offering residents a chance to have their say at an early stage of the process before we seek planning permission in 2024/25.”
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