TRADERS will no longer be able to dispose of their waste at the Raikes Lane tip.

The weighbridge facility will be closed to the public and businesses from Monday as maintenance work is carried out at the energy recovery centre where general household waste is used to generate electricity.

Once the maintenance work has been completed, it will remain closed to the public and trade – only council vehicles will continue to use the site to tip general household waste.

But the household waste recycling centre over the road at Hurstwood Court will not be affected, meaning members of the public can continue to use this facility as long as their vehicle is under two metres in height.

The changes were decided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority earlier this year when it signed a contract with a new waste management provider, according to Bolton Council's executive for environmental service delivery, Cllr Adele Warren.

She said: "The GMCA made this decision as part of the tendering process in March 2019 when the new contract was awarded to SUEZ. The GMCA noted that only residents wanting to dispose of plasterboard, members of the public in high-sided vehicles and charities registered for free tip permits will be redirected to Salford Road."

In June, there were 859 visits to Raikes Lane weighbridge of which 760 were residents in vehicles more than two metres.

The energy recovery centre at Raikes Lane is a strictly regulated industrial facility producing energy in a highly-controlled environment.

The facility operated by SUEZ which uses household general waste from household bin collections to generate electricity.

The site is also currently being used by residents who are diverted from the nearby Hurstwood Court household waste recycling centre either because they cannot access the centre due to the height barrier or they are a resident disposing of hazardous waste such as plasterboard and asbestos that they have removed from their home.

A GMCA spokesman said: "On Tuesday August 27, the site at the energy recovery centre at Raikes Lane will permanently close to the public. There will be no interruption to the waste collection service as council vehicles will continue to tip off general waste from household bin collections at this site as normal.

"This change in access arrangements will increase the efficiency of the site operation in order to generate more electricity from the general waste.

"From Tuesday, residents in vehicles higher than two metres or with plasterboard or asbestos to dispose of will be diverted to other sites. The nearest site is at Salford Road in Bolton for all materials except asbestos for which the nearest site will be Cobden Street, Salford."

Household waste recycling centre at Hurstwood Court is not affected by the planned maintenance work at the energy recovery centre on Raikes Lane.

The two sites are separate and are located at different sides of Raikes Lane industrial estate.

For more information and a full list of all household waste recycling centres and weighbridges across Greater Manchester, please visit www.recycleforgreatermanchester.com