Kibworth Waste Site To Finally Re-Open This Week

The Recycling and Household Waste Site in Kibworth will finally re-open on Thursday after a major re-vamp.

The facility off the A6 has been closed for the past 15 months to allow for the £5.7m transformation, which has taken longer than initially expected.

The new-look ‘split-level’ site boasts better recycling facilities, step-free access to skips and a new layout to boost safety.

Cllr Blake Pain at the revamped site

Councillor Blake Pain, cabinet member for the environment and the green agenda at Leicestershire County Council, said: “We have invested a substantial amount in the rebuilding of the Kibworth Recycling and Household Waste Site to create a modern facility which is safer, better and easier to use for customers.

“The new and improved Kibworth site has been designed to be a best practice facility that will look and function as a modern, safe and sustainable waste and recycling site should. It will also allow us to increase the amount of waste we recycle and reduce the amount being sent to landfill.

“While the scheme took longer to complete than initially anticipated due to issues beyond the council’s control, we’ve been able to develop much improved facilities for use by residents.

“Sustainability has been at the heart of our rebuild, with solar panels and LED lighting used throughout the site as part of our ongoing commitment to tackle the climate crisis and work towards becoming a net zero county by 2045.”

Cllr Blake Pain at the revamped site

Delays in obtaining a permit from the Environment Agency to operate the new site was one reason why the re-opening was delayed.

An Environment Agency spokesperson told HFM: “The permit for the Kibworth Waste & Recycling Centre was issued by the Environment Agency on 6 March, 2023.

“We received the original application in July 2021 and it was allocated to a Permitting Officer in November 2021. This is longer than usual because of capacity issues in the service at that time.

“The application was determined within 11 months which is a typical timescale for this kind of complex bespoke site. Not all of the required information was supplied with the initial application and further information was needed about management of fire, odour and dust risks which are critical to the safety and impact of the site. Addressing these matters properly is beneficial to the operator and the local community.”

The new-look site will be open five days a week, closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.