Bath & North East Somerset Council is looking at reduced opening hours at its new Bath tip – before it has even been built.
How the new recycling centre at Locksbrook Road will look | CGI image © B&NES Council
As part of its budget planning for 2026-2027 the council is reviewing capacity and usage at its household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).
It is considering rotating closures of the Bath centre (currently at Midland Road but due to relocate to Locksbrook Road in 2026) and the Old Welton centre in Midsomer Norton.
Residents have to use a booking system to attend both.
The Keynsham centre, where residents do not need to book, would be unaffected, but concerns about the impact of the extra traffic that would be directed to the Pixash Lane site have been raised.
No details of revised times are given, but the council says the review could save £200,000 in the coming financial year.
Maximising efficient redeployment of permanent staff, the proposal would realise savings by reducing the need for additional agency use to manage the sites.
The Old Welton site would continue to operate as a transfer station on the days that the recycling centre is closed to the public.
B&NES Council-owned Aequus Construction Ltd has permission to build 176 homes on the Midland Road site. Planning permission was granted last year for a replacement council tip at Locksbrook Road although the Environment Agency has not yet granted a permit.
Last week, an Environment Agency spokesperson told the Echo that the application is progressing through the necessary assessment process and is “on track to be issued”, adding: “We are committed to determining this application as quickly as possible whilst ensuring all regulatory requirements are properly satisfied.”
B&NES Council says that the Keynsham centre is large enough to accommodate additional visitors and it can ensure a recycling centre service is always available to residents from across the district.
It acknowledges that the increased travel distances could present significant challenges, including inconvenience and accessibility issues. And it says “clear communication” would be needed on efficiency gains and alternative site availability.
Saltford Parish Council has formally objected to any “budget-driven changes to opening hours”.
It said: “The Pixash Lane household waste recycling centre is accessed via local roads including the A4 which already experience significant congestion, particularly at peak times.
“Any increase in traffic volumes through surrounding villages, including Saltford, would have a detrimental impact on highway capacity, road safety, residential amenity and local air quality.
“Saltford Parish Council considers this risk to be particularly acute if weekday closures or reduced opening hours at other HWRC sites encourage displacement of users to Keynsham.”
The parish council also highlighted that the Keynsham centre was only granted planning permission with the “explicit condition” that there would be no significant increase in traffic, particularly on the A4.
