Aerial footage shows work has begun on new state-of-the-art Walsall waste facility
Work has commenced on a new £32million state-of-the-art Household Waste Recycling Centre and Waste Transfer Station in Walsall.
The project forms part of Walsall Council's strategy to modernise and enhance waste management services and will be situated on Middlemore Lane, Aldridge. Once complete, the facilities will play a crucial role in meeting local and national waste management objectives by reducing landfill waste and increasing recycling rates.
The site will provide modern, easy-to-use facilities enabling residents to recycle a wider range of items.
Construction company Morgan Sindall is set to oversee all aspects of the technical design and construction, ensuring the successful delivery of the facility.
Councillor Adrian Andrew, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth and Regeneration, said: “This project is a massive investment for the future of the borough and a commitment to our cleaner and greener strategy.
“Our current facilities have served us well, but this project will accommodate increasing demand and help us all to recycle and reuse more of our waste.
“Importantly, the site will house banks of solar panels, generating much of the renewable energy needed to run the site.”
The station will have the capacity to process 40,000 tonnes of rubbish per year across 19 bays, each housing two skips.
In addition to the construction of the Household Waste Recycling Centre and Waste Transfer Station, the site will include the provision of weighbridges, service yards, ventilation systems, and office and welfare facilities for operational and management staff.
A reuse shop with a workshop area will also be built, further enhancing the site's functionality and community benefit. Staff in the workshop will refurbish items that would otherwise have been thrown away. The items, all in good and safe condition, will then be sold at a low cost.
Councillor Kerry Murphy, Portfolio Holder for Street Pride, said: “It was great to get a feel for just how big this site is and to see the progress that is being made.
“This is a project we are investing in for the future of our residents here in Walsall.
“The site will help us both in the here and now, and as we move forward with an ever-increasing population in the borough.”
Representatives from Morgan Sindall, Walsall Council, Wardell Armstrong, AtkinsRéalis, and Pagabo gathered on Wednesday, July 24, to put spades in the ground at the site. The project is scheduled to be completed within 64 weeks.