A traffic hazard has sparked a change in the booking system for waste disposal sites in Cheshire East. The closure of three tips has caused long queues and safety concerns on main roads, leading to a reevaluation of the existing system.
The current Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) booking system, introduced in August 2024, operates only on weekends. It was implemented as a temporary measure following the 'emergency' closures of sites in Poynton, Bollington, and Middlewich.
The council initially aimed to manage the use of the remaining four HWRCs during peak times, typically weekends. However, residents have started using the tips more frequently at the beginning of the week to bypass the booking system, resulting in lengthy queues, particularly at Macclesfield and Crewe. This has caused traffic dangers, a situation residents had warned the council about as early as September 2024.
Cheshire East has now acknowledged these issues. A report to the upcoming environment and communities committee meeting states that queues at the HWRCs often extend beyond the site boundaries, with residents waiting on public highways. This creates a significant road traffic hazard, especially at the Macclesfield and Crewe sites due to their locations.
The committee will decide on Thursday whether to approve changes to the booking system to address health and safety concerns and traffic congestion at the HWRCs.
Interestingly, the council was warned about these dangers, specifically at Macclesfield, as far back as 16 months ago. On the day the environment and communities committee voted to permanently close the tips in Poynton, Bollington, and Middlewich, residents were already expressing concerns about the impact on Macclesfield.
Poynton town councillor Laurence Clarke highlighted the increased traffic and queues outside the Macclesfield tip on Congleton Road as a direct result of the closures. Social media reports at the time also documented queues stretching back to the Flower Pot junction in Macclesfield.
The environment and communities committee meeting will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 29, at Macclesfield Town Hall.
But here's where it gets controversial... With the council being aware of these issues for some time, do you think they should have acted sooner to prevent these hazards? And what impact do you think these changes to the booking system will have on residents' waste disposal habits? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
