Portsmouth household waste and recycling centre to reopen

Portsmouth's household waste and recycling centre (HWRC) will reopen on Monday 11 May from 10am-4pm for essential use.

The HWRC was temporarily closed at the end of March following the government's announcement that people should stay home to protect the NHS and prevent the spread of coronavirus, and only travel for very limited and specific reasons.

Portsmouth City Council has been working with partners on plans to allow residents safe access to the Port Solent site.

To keep residents safe the HWRC will be operating very differently, so no one should visit unless they have read the guidance. Guidance can be found here: https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/ext/coronavirus-covid-19/portsmouth-household-waste-and-recycling-centre-coronavirus-information.

To manage traffic levels cars will be admitted based on the last number present on the car's number plate.

Number plates with the last number in the plate being an odd number (one, three, five, seven or nine) – will be allowed on odd days (11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st, 23rd) while plates with the last number in the plate being an even number (zero, two, four, six or eight) – will be allowed on even days (12th,14th,16th,18th, 20th, 22nd, 24th). This will be in place for the first two weeks of reopening (Monday 11 May - Sunday 24 May).

Portsmouth's HWRC is part of a contract involving Hampshire and Southampton councils. Plans have been worked on with partners as well as Veolia, the company that operates the sites.

Cllr Dave Ashmore, the council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: "We have been working with our partners on plans to reopen the household waste and recycling centre for essential use.

We know how important it is to residents and have been working to ensure that it is as safe as possible and that we are following government guidance. The HWRC will be operating very differently than usual and residents must read the guidance on the council's website before they visit.

You should only visit the HWRC if the build-up of waste is a posing a risk of injury or to health. Please continue to use kerbside services for domestic waste and recycling."