Building work has got under way on a new residual waste facility in Odd Down that will serve Bath and North East Somerset residents for years to come.
Construction of the main building that will house the facility started in July, on land owned by Waste Recycling Bath, just off the Wellsway at Odd Down.
It followed unanimous planning permission from the council’s Development Management Committee last summer, and Waste Recycling Bath boss Andy Ridings says the pledge to deliver the facility within 18 months of planning approval is well on track.
He said: “Progress has been rapid since work on the building began last month, and its main structure is now in place.
“The scale is impressive, measuring some 78 metres by 25 metres: a similar size to 10 full-size tennis courts side by side, with space that I’m told could accommodate around 80 double decker buses.
“We are clear the site will be able to comfortably accommodate the needs of our district for many, many years to come and, should demand grow in future, we have planning consent to further increase capacity.”
The new facility’s features will include improved drainage and site access, with a new site reception building, associated weighbridge, a materials recovery facility, and outside storage bays and hardstanding.
Mr Ridings continued: “Our pledge to deliver the completed facility within 18 months of planning permission is well on track.
“As before, we continue to work closely with the council, ensuring minimal impact on the local community.
“If you look for the new building as you travel past on the Wellsway you can catch glimpses, but pleasingly it’s quite well shielded, and structural perimeter landscaping and fencing will also be added to the site in the near future.”
He added that changes to land near the B&NES waste recycling centre at Midland Road have also had an impact at Odd Down.
“We’ve recently been visited by a number of local residents and businesses who, frustrated at the closure of the Midland Road site on days when development work prevented people accessing the current recycling centre, used our site to recycle their household and business waste instead.”
