A rubbish tip in Manchester is set to close for up to 12 months later this year. Plans to redevelop the household waste and recycling centre at Reliance Street at have now been approved with work set to last at least nine months.
The facility in Newton Heath is set to expand in size with a new layout aimed at cutting queues and making it easier to separate waste on the site itself. A new shop selling refurbished or second-hand items is also part of the revamp plans.
More parking spaces would be provided on the site, according to the plans, together with cycle storage located near the new single-storey re-sale shop. Work is expected to start later this year once a contractor has been chosen.
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Trees would have to be removed to accommodate the expansion, but some will be planted on the site. Council planners concluded that this is acceptable.
A Greater Manchester Combined Authority spokesperson said: "The Reliance Street recycling centre will be redeveloped to bring it into line with the other 19 sites across Greater Manchester. This will offer a wider range of recycling opportunities and an improved layout which will allow easier access to containers and cages, it will also ensure that the site does not need to be closed when full containers are swapped with empty ones.
"The redevelopment will also provide an opportunity to install a Renew shop which sells pre-loved household items at affordable prices.
"Now that we’ve had the planning application approved, GMCA will tender and appoint a suitable contractor and hope to start work later in the year. The recycling centre will have to close for 9-12 months while the construction work is undertaken.
"Before the planning application was submitted, we carried out consultation with local residents to gather feedback on the plans. Once a programme of work has been agreed, we will update local residents through a series of events and meetings; these will be confirmed in due course, but will take place well in advance of the site closing."
Residents living around the site were informed of the plans last year. They raised concerns about the closure and how the work would affect them.
However, there was positive feedback about the new shop proposed. Manchester council approved the planning application on February 1.
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