Proposals to develop council-owned land to provide a new public waste and recycling facility at Locksbrook Road in Bath have been unveiled.
An artist’s impression of how the recycling centre would look | Image © B&NES Council
Bath & North East Somerset Council has put forward a proposal to develop the site on the trading estate which is currently used as its street cleansing depot.
It says an “exhaustive site search” has been undertaken across the city and this was the most suitable location.
It will replace the existing Bath Recycling Centre at Midland Road which was identified for redevelopment as part of the Bath Western Riverside regeneration project and already has full planning approval for affordable and market homes.
The current recycling centre will remain open until the new facility is ready to use.
The council says it will complement the new Keynsham Recycling Hub and ensure that residents continue to have easy access to household recycling services in the city.
The street cleansing team will be relocating to an alternative nearby site at Locksbrook Road which previously housed the fleet works and MoT test centre. It will house the vehicles and staff welfare facilities only.
Under a lease agreement, car dealership Bath Volkswagen currently stores vehicles on part of the site earmarked for the new recycling centre.
As landowner, the council says it has advised the dealership of the emerging plans to provide plenty of time for them to “explore alternative arrangements”.
The new recycling centre will be accessed via access points from Locksbrook Road. Separate public and operational access points will be provided.
In addition, there will also be a dedicated pedestrian access point from Locksbrook Road, and pedestrian and cycle access from the Bristol and Bath Railway Path.
The recycling centre will have a strictly enforced pre-booking system. There will be parking for 16 cars, including dedicated disabled parking.
The council says the layout is being designed with careful consideration of the site’s proximity to the River Avon.
Councillor Tim Ball, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “We are sharing our proposals for household waste recycling facilities and welcome feedback.
“Our aim is to create a facility which allows people to continue to recycle and reduce their waste locally. The Midland Road site would then be developed for much-needed housing.”
Once an alternative recycling site has been confirmed, the council says it will start building the first phase of affordable homes for social rent, with the remaining affordable and market homes starting once the remainder of the site has been fully vacated.
A face-to-face drop-in session will be held at the council’s former fleet works and MoT test centre at Locksbrook Road on Tuesday 18th June between 2pm and 6.30pm.
You can also view the plans, provide feedback and register for project updates at www.bathrecyclingcentre.co.uk.
Comments can be made until Sunday 30th June.
A planning application is due to be submitted over the summer, with the council expecting the new centre to open in autumn 2025.
In the “unlikely event” that planning permission is not granted, the council says it would need to consider its next steps very carefully.
“Full site searches have been professionally undertaken and reviewed a number of times and none, other than Locksbrook Road, have been deemed suitable for a household recycling centre in Bath.”
